A Bite That Starts It All
by morvamp
Summary: AE to 2x11. Damon deals with his unexpected emotions in response to Rose's inevitable death and as a result pushes Elena away. He soon discovers the best way to protect her is the exact opposite of what he has thought all along. Rated strong T for language.
1. Chapter 1

_**Let me first start by saying I am not a writer. I had no intention of starting this story, but the characters would not shut up in my head. I had to get them out and once I started, everything just kept flowing. Since this is my first story, I have absolutely no idea what I am doing. The characters are pretty much forcing me to do things their way, which has led me down so many different paths than I originally intended for them to go. But please stick with me through this chapter. It begins with a lot of inner monologues, but they were necessary to show you where our lead characters stood.**_

**Ok now that i've said that, I do not own the vampire diaries. I just decided to use it's characters and send them in a different direction.**

**My story picks up where "By The Light of the Moon" left off. Except in my story Elena made the deal with Elijah, but Stefan's release from the tomb was never in the arrangement. That's pretty much the only change to the storyline I made. I hope you all enjoy :)**

**Please comment and give feedback, I would absolutely love it! And I promise to listen to any criticism and apply it to following chapters.**

* * *

Chapter 1:

Rose continued to scream uncontrollably. Damon had no idea what to do for the damsel in distress lying on the floor in front of him. For the first time in months he had fear for someone other than Elena. The feeling was unfamiliar to him and left a bad taste in his mouth.

He had come to this town so many months ago with the agenda of one thing, release Katherine from the tomb. Well that hadn't gone exactly according to plan. The bitch hadn't been in there. The one person he felt anything for had left him high and dry. After 146 years of shutting his emotions off in order to accomplish his goal it seemed only natural to return to this emotional state of mind.

But then _she_ happened. Elena resembled Katherine, which made it easy for him to understand his immediate attraction to the girl. But she was nothing like Katherine. She was kind, gentle, honorable, and loyal; everything he tried not to be. Because let's be honest… these were not redeeming qualities for a vampire. It made you a weak and vulnerable prey for your enemies.

Although he had tried to resist these uncontrollable feelings, they refused to go away. They were a constant reminder etched in the back of his mind that he still had some humanity left inside of him.

Stupid Elena and her control over him. She had him wrapped around her tiny finger, and as much as he hated to admit it, he would do anything for her. He would play nice with her friends, yes, even that little witch Bonnie. He would risk his life time and time again to make sure she remained safe. But none of this mattered; she was in love with his brother, Stefan.

Oh noble Stefan. This was the hardest thought for him to bear. As much as the thought made him cringe, his brother was _perfect_ for Elena. He was able to protect her from the tower of enemies Elena continually ranked up. He was honest and loving. This was why when given the opportunity to empty everything onto Elena; he had ended it with support for his brother. He knew she had no recollection of the conversation they shared weeks ago, but it was a constant memory branded in his mind. He had muttered those 3 words he had been fighting so hard to resist, but because of that damn humanity that was lingering inside of him, he compelled her to forget. He knew it was the right decision, but he regretted it every day.

His thoughts were interrupted with another cry from Rose. His thoughts had carried him away from the scene in front of him. That pesky female werewolf Jules had officially placed herself at the top of his kill list, but that would have to wait until he found a way to cure Rose of the painful death he knew was only days, maybe hours away. But before he started this difficult task he asked himself one question… _why the hell do I care so much?_

_

* * *

_

Elena sat staring at her reflection deep in thought over the past day's events. For the first time in months she was safe. _SAFE_. That was a word not often used in her vocabulary as of lately. She had made a deal with Elijah to keep her friends as well as herself protected from Klaus. There was only one kink in their perfectly mastered plan; Stefan was still trapped in the tomb with the evil conniving Katherine. Although Elena trusted Stefan completely, she couldn't help but fear the worst. Katherine was a master at getting under people's skin and manipulating them to achieve her goals and Elena knew Stefan was one of these goals. She knew she had to remove Stefan from this situation, but she had no idea how. She felt helpless, a feeling she was becoming all too familiar with.

Before she could continue her thought process, Elena was distracted by the sound of Alaric's edged voice. She stood from her vanity chair and made her way to the hallway so she could better hear the conversation between Alaric and whoever he was on the phone with.

"I just don't understand. Why didn't she attack you? Why would she try and hurt Rose?" questioned Alaric.

Elena quickly descended the stairs and stood by Alaric's side. At her movement, he tensed and told whoever was on the other end of the line that he would be there momentarily. He then snapped his cell phone shut and shot her a worried expression.

"What's going on?" Elena asked.

Alaric hesitated before he replied, "Damon called. Something happened at the boarding house and he needs my help."

At the sound of his name, Elena felt her heart begin to race. Although Damon had hurt so many of her loved ones in the past, somehow he had managed to add his name to that very same list.

Before she could calm the panic in her voice she cried out, "Is Damon alright? He hasn't been hurt has he?"

Alaric noticed the hysterical expression that caused her face to become distorted because he quickly replied, "Damon's perfectly fine. Rose on the other hand was attacked by a werewolf. It wasn't Tyler. We unfortunately have another furry friend running around Mystic Falls. Damon and I met her earlier at the Grill, but I need to go. Evidently the rumors are true about werewolf bites." His eyes drifted to the kitchen where Jenna was preparing dinner before he continued, "Damon seems to think Rose is dying."

Before Elena could get a handle on the situation at hand she blurted out, "I'm coming with you!"

Alaric didn't seem particularly thrilled with the idea of her joining him, but he nodded in agreement. He said goodbye to Jenna and apologized for leaving so abruptly while Elena snuck through the front door.

They kept conversation to a minimum on the way to the boarding house. Elena knew Alaric was trying to configure a way to save Rose. He had done so much research about the supernatural while trying to find his ex-wife Isabel that if anyone could remember a cure, it would be him. Elena, on the other hand had a much clearer mind. She could only focus on one thought… _why am I not concerned for Rose_?

* * *

The door swung open as Alaric and Elena stormed into the boarding house. Damon looked up at them with terror in his eyes. Elena couldn't quite understand the expression on his face. Was it fear? She stared into his panic stricken eyes before glancing at the floor upon Rose.

She looked terrible. Her right shoulder had been torn apart. Pieces of her flesh had begun to fall off leaving her shoulder bone completely visible. Her skin looked white, almost translucent, which wasn't exactly a stretch from her normal skin color, but definitely off. She had beads of sweat trickling down her forehead, her cheeks, and onto her neck. But the worst was the screaming. She kept crying out in tormented screeches. Elena couldn't bear to look any longer so she quickly removed her gaze from Rose and walked out of the room.

She swayed into the study and grasped onto the desk to keep herself up. Although she couldn't quite bring herself to fear what was happening to Rose, she felt horrible for the pain the female vampire was enduring.

Almost as if he had sensed Elena needed someone to keep her afloat, Damon appeared next to her. The familiarity of having him so close caused her body to regain its strength. She looked up into his eyes and noticed the normal easiness was still vacant in them. He appeared almost raged.

Before she could ask him what his next move was he spat, "What are you doing here Elena?"

She tried to answer the question before she realized she had no answer. "I … I'm not really sure."

Damon continued to stare at her with daggers in his eye before turning to walk out the door. Once he got there he paused before turning around and merely whispering, "You should go home. We have enough damsels in distress to worry about for one day."

* * *

Damon knew it was harsh, but he couldn't bear the idea of Elena witnessing this. He had to worry about Rose at the moment and Elena constantly hovering over him wondering if he was ok would be a distraction. He also hated admitting this to himself, but he didn't want Elena to see him emotionally vulnerable. It appeared he had developed some sort of connection with Rose. He knew it wasn't exactly romantic, but he wasn't sure if it was exactly friendship either. All he knew was that he had to save her.

He re-entered the living room to the continuous cries of Rose. Alaric had placed himself beside her with a damp wash cloth in hand. Alaric looked up and asked, "What are we going to do? I've retraced everything I could in my mind, but I can't think of a solution. We're losing her fast and I'm not sure we have much time left."

Damon rolled some ideas over in his head before deciding it was time to track down Jules. He was going to get some answers or he was going to rip her heart out. Either way, it was a win in his book.

Damon announced, "I'm going to visit our new friend Jules and demand some answers." And with a devilish grin he added, "I can be very persuasive when I want to be." He headed for the front door, but was confronted by Elena before he could exit.

With fire in her eyes she pronounced, "I'm coming with you."

"You're not coming Elena! I know you consistently feel the need to be involved in every decision we make, but this does not concern you. I can't protect you! You seem to forget you're a human. You'll only be a distraction."

With this Elena became enraged. She stomped towards him with a clear understanding that she was going to get what she wanted.

"I can't just sit here and continue to watch the people around me die! Rose is dying and Stefan is trapped in the tomb with that malicious bitch Katherine. I'm coming with you whether you like it or not." Stubbornly she muttered under her breath so that she knew he could still hear, "And I don't need protecting, I have Elijah for that now."

She knew she wasn't fighting fair, but she couldn't sit around and do nothing anymore.

Damon released the tension in his forehead allowing it to become de-wrinkled. He had promised Stefan he would protect Elena and this wasn't exactly following his promise, but he didn't want to argue anymore. So he simply sighed, "Fine, but try to stay out of the way."


	2. Chapter 2

**Once again, I do not own the Vampire Diaries. I just really enjoy playing around with it's characters.**

**I wanted to say a huge, "Thank You!" to everyone who either subscribed or added me to their favorites list. I was completely blown away by the positive response to the beginning of my story! I hope I can continue to make you guys happy. :)**

**Please continue to comment and leave criticism. I love hearing what people think of my work!**

* * *

Elena sat uncomfortably next to Damon. He was on edge and she hated the tension that seemed to mask the car. He was upset, she knew that, but why was he acting so angry towards her? It wasn't like she was the one who caused Rose to be bitten, so she decided to break the silence.

"How do you plan on finding Jules? She's a werewolf and it's a full moon. It's not exactly like we can walk up and hold a conversation with her."

Damon seemed to consider this for a minute. Elena knew he acted impulsively, but most of the time he had some sort of plan established before heading off into battle.

After a few seconds he muttered, "Were heading to the woods. I know Caroline is there with Tyler keeping him contained for the evening, but I hope to stay far enough away from them to keep her from getting involved. Jules is probably running freely and I plan on cornering her."

Elena was about to ask Damon how he planned to corner a werewolf in the open area of the woods without putting himself in danger when he continued.

"Somehow I will restrain her until the moon falls. She'll turn back into her human self therefore rendering her a non-threat and completely helpless. She'll have no choice but to answer my questions." He cocked his head and looked at her with fierce intensity before stating, "If she doesn't, I plan on tearing her apart limb by limb."

Elena knew this was the perfect moment to knock some sense into Damon, but she felt it useless. She had seen the determination in his icy blue eyes. He was going through with this plan no matter what she said, even if that meant getting himself killed.

They traveled in silence for a few more minutes when Damon's cell phone rang. He answered it quicker than it took her to look in his direction.

"Alaric, why are you calling me? We've only been gone 15 minutes. You can't possibly tell me you are having a difficult time doing nothing besides watching Rose. "

Elena leaned closer to better hear the other side of the conversation. She heard Alaric reply tentatively, "She's gone Damon."

* * *

Hate engulfed Damon before he slammed the phone shut. He could feel it pumping throughout his entire body. Every inch of him was vibrating and he needed to pull the car over. He sensed Elena's fear drilling into his right side, but at the moment he didn't care. He swerved the car to the side of the road, slammed the door shut, shouted for Elena to stay put and sprinted straight for the heart of the forest. He had no reason to simply restrain Jules anymore, but he had every reason to kill her slowly and painfully.

* * *

Elena remained frozen in the passenger seat of Damon's car. Rose had died. She knew Damon had developed a friendship with Rose, but the way he was acting made her believe it had grown into something more. And she had no idea why a feeling was coming from the pit of her stomach. _Was that jealousy? _Why the hell would she be jealous? The love of her life was trapped inside of a tomb with a vampire that was desperately in love with him and she was worried because Damon had feelings for Rose? What the hell was wrong with her?

She shook the feeling off as simply shock. People became flooded with different emotions when faced with death all of the time and that was exactly what was happening to her. She reached for the door handle and tore off into the woods to find Damon. Whatever he had decided to do was sure to be dangerous enough to get him killed and she wasn't about to let that happen.

* * *

Damon was running at a full sprint through the woods when a sound caught his attention. He stopped to listen to his surroundings, but heard nothing. He was sure he heard a patter to the left. Damon moved in the direction slowly to ensure he made the least amount of noise possible.

His senses were heightened at the possibility of a fight when a form attacked him from the right. The body slammed him to the ground, but his supernatural strength allowed him to quickly throw the mass from him.

He jumped to his feet only to see a snarling wolf merely inches from him. He didn't need confirmation; he knew it was Jules. She pounced before he had the chance to attack. They were entangled for mere seconds before Damon threw her to the ground causing her to yelp in pain.

Damon ripped a branch from the Oak tree next to him while Jules returned to an upright position. He let out a growl so terrifying it would have caused any predator to flinch, but the wolf held her own. She replied back with a snarl before attacking again.

This time Damon was ready for her. She launched towards his upper torso, but was pierced by the branch before making contact with his body. Her limp figure fell to the ground leaving Damon hunched over her. He growled again before reaching down and ripping her jaw in two. There was no way Jules was going to hurt anyone else.

With his senses still heightened he heard a branch snap to his left. He looked up to see Elena wide eyed staring at him in terror.

* * *

Elena stood stiff in place. She couldn't decide between running for her life or running to Damon. It wasn't the first time Damon had killed someone, but it was definitely the first time she had witnessed it firsthand.

It had been terrifying to watch him rip apart the werewolf the way he had. It wasn't the Damon she had become familiar with. This was the Damon that first appeared in Mystic Falls.

She watched breathlessly as he stalked towards her. His face contorted into something almost demon-like. His fangs were protruding from his upper lip, his dark eyes were streaked with black veins, his body was curled into a crouch and he was drenched in blood. She caught her breath and closed her eyes expecting his attack, but when she opened them he was no longer in front of her.

She whirled around and watched him trudge onward. She sprinted to catch up, leaving a few steps in between them. For moments she followed silently until she couldn't take it anymore.

Elena whispered, "Damon."

He spun around so fast it almost knocked her off her feet. She took a step back, but not quick enough to escape his grasp. He grabbed onto her shoulder hard and screamed, "I thought I told you to stay in the car!"

She whimpered under the pain he was causing her shoulder, "I was worried. I knew you were angry and I wanted to make sure you were ok. You tend to act without thinking when your mind isn't in the right place."

With this his face seemed to soften, but not enough to make him any less terrifying. He released her shoulder before turning and walking in the direction they were previously headed.

She cried out, "Damon, talk to me. I know you're upset. Just talk to me!"

He spun around and was mere inches from her face again before she had time to blink.

"Do I look like I want to talk, Elena?" he shouted. "What the hell is there to talk about? Rose is dead. That bitch killed her and in return I ripped her to pieces. Mission accomplished."

Elena knew there was more to Damon's anger than left over adrenaline from the fight. So she pushed on. "Damon, back there. What you did, it wasn't simply because you were defending a friend. Rose was becoming something more for you and that is perfectly ok to admit."

Elena had hit a nerve. He used his force to slam her body into the tree inches behind her. He brought his face so close to hers that the slightest movement from either one and they would have touched. He let out a growl causing Elena to flinch in fear and at this he let out an uncontrollable laugh.

He regained composure before cocking his head to the side and asking, "Do I scare you?"

Elena remained silent. Damon was on edge and she had learned from past experiences that he was very unpredictable in this state.

He slammed her body against the tree again and repeated his question. 'Elena, do I scare you?"

Tears started to roll down her cheeks before she could let out a simple, "Yes."

His faced changed into something that resembled shame before he released her and fell to the ground. He then took his face in his hands and didn't move. Elena stared in disbelief at the Jekyll and Hyde show that was taking place in front of her. She contemplated her next step steps before lowering herself to the ground. She hesitated, but wrapped her arms around Damon in a comforting embrace.

By the time Damon made a movement, Elena had no idea how much time had passed. She could have been comforting him for hours for all she knew. Finally, Damon lifted his face to hers, close enough that she could feel his cool breath against her skin. He placed both hands on either side of her face and closed his eyes; in response she took a breath in anticipation of what was about to happen next.

"I'm sorry, but you need to stay away from me Elena" was what finally escaped his lips.

Question in her eyes was met by pleading from his when he finally opened them. He sighed and then continued, "This was my fault. I caused this. Jules wouldn't have attacked if I hadn't provoked her."

Elena was about to object when he continued further, "She was my friend Elena, at least I am pretty sure that's all she was. But regardless, she is still dead because of actions I laid into place. I don't want anyone else getting hurt, especially you."

Elena begged, "Damon, this isn't your fought. I need you… we all need you. Everyone is safe with you around whether you will agree with me or not. Stefan's trapped in that tomb. I can't trust Elijah and I don't know how to protect myself on my own. I just… I need you, ok?"

He stared at her with concern in her eyes and explained, "They'll be fine. As for you, everyone has done so much already to protect you from harm and I have no idea what I would do, what I would become if something was to happen to you because of something I did."

Elena shook her head and refused to commit to what he was pleading her to do. Although Damon had many demons, he was still her friend and she still cared for him. But there was no more discussing the matter that evening. She knew he believed what he was saying was the best option for her safety. That didn't mean she needed to agree with him, nor did it mean she had to follow his rules.

But for the sake of the evening events, and the toll they had taken on Damon, she simply stated, "Ok."

* * *

**I'm sorry for those of you who wanted Rose to survive. I really don't hate her character, but I needed her to die in order to get Damon to deal with his inner crap. He's really a fascinating character and I love how he continues to grow and change as I write. **

**Also, if things continue to flow the way they have been, I should have another chapter posted tomorrow. Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Nope, don't own the vampire diaries, although I really wish I did.**

**Alright, sorry guys. Super short chapter this time, but I promise to post another one tomorrow. Once again, I absolutely adore comments. They make me super happy. So keep commenting please. Enjoy. **

* * *

When Elena approached the boarding house the following morning, she heard music blaring through the cracks in its ancient windows. She knocked on the door, but after receiving no answer she simply walked in. She called out for Damon, but heard no reply other than the heavy beats of Disturbed emanating from the sound system.

She walked past the living room to find the remnants of Rose non-existent. Damon or Alaric had obviously wanted the evidence of what happened the previous night cleared immediately.

Elena bent down to the floor amazed by its cleanly perfection and began replaying the scene that had occurred there only hours ago in her mind. It wasn't long before Damon appeared next to her.

"Hello Elena" he cooed emphasizing the syllables in her name.

He was drunk and completely transparent. She could easily see the masked sadness behind his drunken exterior.

"Damon, I wanted to make sure you were alright. I know last night was difficult for you…" She trailed off without knowing which direction to take her sentence.

Damon rolled his eyes and smiled. "Of course I'm ok, Elena. As you see, I have my scotch, my perfectly empty house, and perhaps a few sorority girls in my near future." He winked at her before he continued in a mocking tone, "but that was so incredibly thoughtful of you to take it upon yourself to check on me."

Elena knew this front well; it was Damon's constant fallback. Whenever he was upset, he shut off his emotions. Well, she wasn't about to stand for it. Not after all of the progress he had made since coming to Mystic Falls. So she pushed further.

She grabbed his face between her hands and pleaded, "Don't do this."

A forced puzzled expression graced his face before he questioned, "Do what exactly, Elena?"

"Shut me out. I know you're hurting. Let me help you. Let me be there for you," she shouted in response.

Damon threw her hands from his face, took a step away and screamed, "Be there for me! You want to _be _there for me? Let me show you the only way you can honestly be there for me!"

Before Elena could grasp what was happening, Damon threw himself at her. He threw his arms around her waist and pulled her into an intoxicating kiss. Elena's breath escaped when their lips met. She wasn't sure whether it was from the sudden tightening embrace of his hands or the simple motion of his lips against hers, but Elena was finding it very difficult to breath.

She screamed out from under his lips, "Damon!" and struggled to shove him away. He wouldn't budge, instead his embrace tightened as he pushed his body into hers. She was no match for his strength, after all, considering he _was_ a vampire. He continued to push his lips into hers, but in a rougher more harsh way that no longer resembled passion. She fought hard to push his body from hers and finally, as if Damon suddenly realized what was happening, he removed himself from her.

She steadied herself against the wall and shot him a shocked glance, but his harsh icy blue eyes were all she met.

He let out a sinister laugh and menacingly questioned, "Are you sure you want to be there for me?"

Elena answered with silence. She truly had no idea what to say.

Damon continued, "I told you to stay away from me, Elena. I'm dangerous. You keep construing the situation in my favor. But you seem to forget the very nature of what and who I am. I'm a monster! That's all I am ever going to be, can't you see that? I can bring nothing to you but harm!"

He then calmly lowered his voice and said, "Now please, Elena, for once do what I ask you to do. Follow my orders and stay away from me. I'll handle Stefan and the tomb. Just be _happy. _Live your life and I promise to continue to live mine."

Elena was completely dumbfounded at the scene that just unraveled in front of her. She understood he had lost someone important in his life, but she was becoming exhausted with his consistent mood swings. She threw her hands up in defeat and said, "Whatever, Damon." She then heaved herself from the wall and stomped out of the front door and possibly Damon's life forever.

* * *

Damon removed the cork from the bottle of scotch, poured himself another glass and consumed it in one simple swig. He hated how he let his emotions get the best of him, he truly did. But what was done was done, there was no going back, and if he was really being honest with himself, this was for the best.

Elena would keep herself out of harm's way and he would be able to focus solely on releasing his brother from the tomb. Life would return to its normal path once Stefan was free and everyone would be happy again. Well, everyone except probably… _himself_.

* * *

**I know it was really, really short, but chapter 4 is entirely too long for me to combine them. Plus, you all got some Delena action. So it wasn't all bad right?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Nope, still don't own the Vampire Diaries.**

**Don't really have much to say about this chapter, other than Enjoy!**

* * *

It had been weeks since Damon's confrontation with Elena and he found himself more frustrated and confused than ever. _Damnit, why was doing the right thing so difficult?_ Damon had kept his end of his bargain with Elena and stayed firmly out of her life. He had made no attempt to speak to her since their fight.

But what Elena didn't know was he returned to her house every evening to check on her condition. He knew his reasoning behind this was not purely to keep his promise to Stefan to look out for the girl, but more of a means to cure his undeniable pull to her. So every night he sat outside of her window and watched her steadily breathing as she slept. He couldn't decide if this was when she appeared most stunning. If not, it definitely had made its way to the near top of the list.

Rose's death had brought upon so many unresolved issues in Damon. Somehow amongst the consumption of booze, frequent snacks, and even a spare female here and there he realized her death had hit him harder than expected. Once shut off desires and emotions were seeping through him. Not just seeping through, but flooding out. _How the hell had he let himself get emotionally attached to another woman? And on top of that, how did he have enough space in his soul less self to have feelings for two women?_

He knew the answer, but refused to accept it. _Elena._ She had brought out so many good qualities in him since first appearing in Mystic Falls. She had forced him to embrace his humanity, which wasn't exactly easy considering he had been shutting it off for nearly 150 years. The problem he faced now was he had no idea how to control it.

All of these _feelings_ were driving him insane; feelings to protect, feelings to comfort, feelings to _love_. If only he knew how to respond to these feelings and embrace them without causing harm to their creator.

* * *

Elena awoke to the sound of Caroline's voice. This had become completely familiar since her friends had taken on the responsibility of babysitting her. Or at least that was how it felt. She hadn't seen Elijah in months, which she figured meant things were going according to his plan. And since that painful morning with Damon, he had remained MIA leaving plenty of room for her friends to take his place as her protector. _Pssh, like she needed protecting anymore._

What she needed was some time alone to release.

She had been dealing with so many unfamiliar emotions, but had no time to relish in them. She needed time to break down, to cry, and to be weak. But she refused to do this in the presence of someone else. Especially when the feeling she had been hiding so well were a result of someone she was supposed to have absolutely no feeling for. What would her friends say if they knew she was crying over a spat she shared with Damon? They'd certainly question her feelings for both Damon and Stefan. And this, she was certain, was not a conversation she was ready to tackle.

"You up yet, sleeping beauty?" called Caroline.

"Now I am," Elena answered groggily. She really missed the luxury of waking up whenever she pleased. Caroline's desire to sleep in like normal humans diminished the second she became a vampire. Evidently vampires are capable of functioning on 5 hours of sleep, and this was a skill Elena and her human-self never quite mastered.

"Good," replied Caroline. "Jenna and Jeremy need your help gathering items for the Founder's Ball at the historical society."

Elena sighed before questioning, "Isn't Jenna becoming a little suspicious of the fact that either you or Bonnie has been here nearly every night for two months?"

Caroline rolled her eyes and answered, "We're girls Elena. Sleepovers are what we do. I think she would become a little more suspicious if we didn't spend the night."

Elena giggled. Caroline was right, she couldn't begin to count the endless amount of sleepovers the girls had shared while growing up. But she had noticed the word _your_ in Caroline's earlier statement, "I take it you will not be aiding your help in this morning's scavenger hunt of historical items? Might I ask where you will be heading off to?"

"I have to visit Damon at the boarding house. Sorry, but it's been days since I've had anything to drink and if I push it any longer I may just take a snap at you," she said jokingly.

Although Elena was still furious with Damon and his actions, she couldn't ignore the stab in her chest at the mention of his name. She missed him. In a different way than she missed Stefan. Come to think of it, it had been days since she had thought about her former boyfriend. Since she wasn't exactly allowed to visit Stefan, she had forced reoccurring thoughts of him away. Worrying in the past only made her head spin and caused her more stress. But still, that nagging feeling didn't dissolve… _she should be more concerned with Stefan being trapped in the tomb_.

She pondered that thought for a few seconds before Caroline spoke again, "Don't worry; Bonnie will be over later. I'm hanging out with Tyler tonight." Caroline stopped to glance out the window and continued, "Tomorrow's a full moon and we have to prepare. I hate to admit it, but I'm starting to enjoy his werewolf ticks. He's aggressive and doesn't quiver at the idea of what I am, which is a huge breath of fresh air. It's nice to be completely open with someone. And might I add, he does look rather dashing without a shirt on."

Elena slapped Caroline's leg playfully and laughed. She knew Caroline was falling for Tyler, but she also knew Caroline still had feelings for Matt. It was a tricky triangle her friend had found herself in.

"Well I guess it's time to get going," announced Caroline.

She said goodbye to her friend before heading down to the kitchen to assist Jenna and Jeremy. After a few hours of mindless history 101, she decided now was a better chance than ever to escape for the afternoon. She slipped through the front door and started her car knowing exactly where she was headed and regretting she hadn't made the effort sooner.

* * *

Damon had been frequently visiting Stefan to make sure his brother was surviving. So the morning events had become nothing but routine to him. After Caroline had left he made the all too familiar trip to visit his brother.

When he approached the tomb Damon called out in a condescending tone, "Hey baby bro."

Seconds later Stefan appeared at the entryway looking ragged. His brother was starving and there was absolutely nothing he could do to rescue him from this imprisonment.

He had tried everything he could think of. The witch was unsuccessful at her attempts to remove the curse, even after seeking help from her cousin Lucy. Alaric found nothing mentioned in the hundreds of research materials he had obtained over the years and Jeremy had found no leads on the Internet that led them to a solution. They were all rendered useless, and Stefan remained trapped inside of the tomb.

Damon handed over a bottle of animal blood to Stefan, exactly as he had been doing for weeks, except this time he only drank half before passing the bottle to Katherine. Damon prepared to leap for the bottle in opposition, when he remembered he was standing merely inches from the entrance to the tomb.

Katherine drank deeply; her sunken skin regaining a fraction of its light. "Thank you, Stefan" she mewed.

"You're welcome," he replied.

Damon stared in disbelief before exclaiming, "What the hell did you do that for? You're helping her survive now?"

Stefan responded simply with a nod.

"Taste's great. Now that I have some of my strength back, wanna step inside and join us?" Katherine teased with a seductive shake of her hip.

It took a minute for Damon to grasp the concept before coming to an understanding. He let out a sigh, chose to ignore Katherine and said, "The bitch got to you." Damon feared this would happen. He knew it was inevitable considering the amount of time Stefan had been confined to the same area as the wicked vamp, but he still believed his brother was strong enough to resist.

"I've been stuck in this tomb for nearly two months now, barely surviving. Elena still has not come to visit and it appears I've lost my strength. When you just surrender to your natural side Damon, things are easier to bear," Stefan answered.

Damon couldn't believe what he was hearing. He attempted to reason with Stephan. "Don't talk to me about surrendering to your natural side. I've been there done that remember? It gets you nowhere. And Elena hasn't visited because I've arranged for a constant babysitter by her side at all times. That was your order. You didn't want her here!" He continued with urgency in his voice, "You told me she needed to be protected!"

Stefan laughed to himself and responded, "And I'm sure you have done a great job of that haven't you, Damon? Keeping Elena safe. I'm sure you've spent every night heroically by her side. Don't glare at me with that offended look on your face; this was exactly your plan all along. Keep me trapped inside of this tomb allowing you countless minutes alone with my former girlfriend whom you are completely in love with. History has a terrible way of repeating itself doesn't it, Damon, but this time you had the luxury to come out victorious. I don't blame for you for taking advantage, it's in your very nature."

Damon was enraged. After everything he had tried to accomplish in order to release Stefan from this tomb. The terrible way he had treated Elena in order to keep his promise to Stefan and remove any danger he might have caused on her. It was more than his control could handle.

Damon stomped to the very edge of the tomb and began shouting for ultimate effect; "I have done nothing to tarnish your relationship with Elena. If anything, I've pushed her as far away as possible to ensure you still have her to return to once I find a way to get you out of this hell hole. As for still being trapped here in the first place; that is the very last thing I wanted. We have tried everything to release you from this prison, so don't you dare accuse me of destroying you. You have managed to do that successfully on your own." With this he turned and attempted to walk away.

He had taken two steps before Stefan called to him, "Bring human blood with you next time. If I'm going to remain trapped in here, I might as well enjoy myself." His comment was followed by a snicker which, Damon could only assume, came from Katherine.

Damon snuck a quick glance back towards Stefan's direction in time to see Katherine place her hands around his waist. Stefan turned to face her before leaning down and planting a kiss on her lips.

What Damon saw when he returned his gaze to the direction he was previously headed made his non-beating heart falter. Elena was staring at the site he had just witnessed with tears filling up in her eyes.

* * *

**Not 100% sure, but I might post the next chapter tomorrow. I am still making a few tweaks. Katherine's dialogue is causing me a few problems, and I haven't quite gotten her to where I want her yet. But it's Katherine and I would expect nothing less from her!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Everyone knows by now that I don't own the vampire diaries. So this is the last time I'm going to add that.  
**

**I am loving your comments. It's amazing to see how different readers react to the story line and it really makes me want to continue writing. So thank you for that.**

**Alright, I actually ended up rewriting this entire chapter. It still heads in the same direction, but the original dialogue was not nearly where I wanted it to be. The characters started off extremely tight lipped, but once I restarted they wouldn't stop yelling at each other. This is probably my favorite chapter so far, so I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

* * *

Elena had no idea why she was so upset over the scene that had been acted out in front of her. Just earlier that morning she had found herself wondering why her thoughts so infrequently floated to Stefan. But the idea of him kissing not only another person, but the same person that had tried so expertly to unravel her life, struck her with a painful blow to the gut. Tears overflowed the corners of her eyes before she could fight to resist them.

She had no reason to be upset; it wasn't exactly like they were a couple anymore. Stefan was free to do as he pleased, but she always assumed he would be there for her when all of the scattered pieces of their lives settled. He was always meant to be her _fallback_. Her safe bet.

But evidently that wasn't going to be the case. Instead Elena watched as Stefan's fingers became entangled in Katherine's hair. He inhaled her scent and pushed his lips against hers. Elena debated leaving before anyone noticed she was there, when Damon turned and caught sight of her for the first time.

His face consumed in concern brought a feeling of embarrassment she wasn't expecting. Not only was he witnessing the same erotic act she was, but he was also witnessing her breakdown as a result of it, and that was just not acceptable.

Elena slowly walked to the edge of the tomb gaining the attention of both Stefan and Katherine. Damon held out an arm to stop her from going any further, but she pushed him off. She had a few things she needed to say to Stefan and she was damned if she was about to let him forget them.

At the site of Elena, Katherine laughed, "Elena darling, so nice of you to join us! It's about time you knew what your former flame and I have been up to. He's been rather lonely without you. So I figured I'd show him a good time and let him see what he's been missing." With this she laced an arm around Stefan's waist.

Stefan, on the other hand appeared less delighted about the encounter. He removed Katherine's hold on his waist and approached as closely to Elena as the spell holding him allowed.

Astonishment spread across his face as he questioned, "Elena?"

She was not about to let him see the pain he had just caused her. Instead she focused on the anger that derived from her embarrassment.

"Hello, Stefan. I see you've had no problem keeping yourself occupied," Elena said.

Shame crossed his face as he replied, "You never came. I've been trapped in here for nearly 2 months and not once have you shone your face."

Damon interrupted before Elena could respond. "We've already been over that! I told you everyone has been on specific duty…"

But Elena cut him off. "It doesn't matter. You're a free man, figuratively speaking of course, so I have no hold over your actions. I made that choice for you months ago after the masquerade ball. "

Stefan responded, "I've never wanted that choice to be made for me, Elena. You were always what I wanted."

Katherine rolled her eyes and yawned theatrically, but Stefan continued. I've waited for you to come, kept strong for weeks, and resisted the urge to return to my natural self. My senses have been on fire! All I needed was for you to help them subside, to keep them at bay. Your love was what fueled me to resist for as long as I did. Then I just… gave up. I couldn't fight anymore. The pain was unbearable and it seemed as though you had no intention of coming."

Stefan paused and Elena noticed the hurt in his eyes as he said, "I figured you had moved on." He stole a quick glance at Damon and accused with disgust in his voice, "Moved on to him."

She looked up at Damon and then back to Stefan and questioned, "Why is it always this way with you two?"

Katherine took a seat on the ground, crossed her legs over one another and playfully announced, "Now we're getting to the good part."

Damon took a step back, his focus still on Elena, and asked, "Excuse me?"

"You both make your own decisions! I'm so sick and tired of you blaming the other for your actions. Damon, for 146 years you blamed Stefan for killing Katherine, who by the way, is sitting right in front of you. And you," she screamed while turning around to face Stefan. "You made the decision all on your own to succumb to her ways. Damon, nor I, had anything to do with that choice."

Elena could tell Stefan was getting frustrated. He placed his hand on his forehead and paced back and forth along the invisible barrier trapping him in the tomb. It appeared he was fighting an inner battle with himself. She was about to speak up when Stefan whispered in astonishment, "I can't believe it."

She stared at him with confusion on her face before asking, "You can't believe what?"

Stefan stopped pacing, shot her a look that could easily kill and said, "You didn't deny that you've moved on. I can't believe it. You've slept with Damon."

She couldn't fight the anger that boiled up inside of her. She felt like a shaken champagne bottle, whose lid was about to pop. He had refocused the conversation and completely ignored the point she was trying to make.

Without thinking, she pounced at Stefan. Katherine, enthralled with the idea of fresh blood, steadied into a crouch ready for her attack, but Damon grabbed Elena in one simple movement before she crossed the entrance of the tomb and whispered desperately, "Think about what you're doing. I know you're angry, but Katherine won't hesitate before draining you dry."

Elena fought to break free of Damon's grasp and screamed towards Stefan, "Don't force your shame onto me. I've done nothing with Damon! And even if I did, it still wouldn't compare to this. I can't believe you! Her, of all people!"

Elena shook her head in disbelief and continued, "You are the only one that has royally fucked this…" jabbing her finger at Stefan and then herself, "…up. I believed in you, you were always the stronger one! Now I have no idea what you've become." Elena wanted to spit, but was well aware of Damon's eyes on her and despite everything that was taking place; she couldn't help but consider that wouldn't appear feminine.

Stefan let out a growl as his face became distorted. She looked with intense eyes at the figure that now stood before her. She hated to admit it, but her first thought was it reminded her of Damon's after he killed Jules. But unlike Damon's, Elena couldn't see the strength behind it.

"What did you expect me to do, Elena? Wait around for you forever?" shouted Stefan.

"Oh please, we all knew that wasn't going to happen," giggled Katherine.

Elena felt Damon's grip on her tighten as he battled with himself to not attack the bitch. She noticed a warm feeling crept over her skin at the thought of Damon defending her so valiantly. She cleared her head and replied, "It doesn't matter now. What's done is in the past. I hope you enjoy your lives together." And with that she strutted away from the tomb, stopping for a moment to spin around and screamed, "Fuck you both!" before continuing into the darkness.

* * *

Damon was impressed. The girl had held her own, but he knew the truth behind the show. Elena was hurting and he needed to make sure someone was there when she fell apart.

Damon turned to Stefan and whispered, "I'm not going to pretend I am alright with the scene you put on this evening, but you are my brother and I vowed to free you somehow. That still stands true. I'll see you in a few days." With that Damon bolted into the woods to catch Elena.

It took only a second to catch up to her. She hadn't gotten far before she had collapsed onto the mossy ground. He approached slowly. It took everything inside of him not to turn around and destroy his brother for the pain he had caused Elena. She appeared _broken_, not physically, but emotionally broken.

Damon wanted to scream, _none of this would have happened if you had just listened to me and stayed away!_ But the sight of her made him decide against it. Her hands were lifted to cover her face where sobs were escaping at a rapid rate. Her body was crouched into a fetal position and all Damon could think was… _I need to fix this_. But how?

He lowered himself and picked her gently off of the ground. She looked into his eyes with pure gratitude before returning to her sobs.

Damon carried her gently to his car without saying a word, but his mind was racing. He had been fighting so hard to stay away from her because he thought that was the best option for her safety. But as he looked at her, Damon knew this wasn't the case. Elena was going to face challenges and heartbreak whether he was around or not and the world was a terrible place to stand alone.

Realization swept through Damon as he asked himself,_ what if the best option for Elena's safety is the exact opposite of what I've thought all along._

_

* * *

_**I thought I'd throw a little teaser in here about the next chapter...**_**You're going to get plenty of Damon and Elena time!**__  
_


	6. Chapter 6

**Those of you who originally tuned into this story for the supernatural aspect, please be patient with me. I've written about 11 chapters of this story already and it becomes a big part of the storyline again. Also, there will be a lot more interaction between all of the characters. I promise!**

**And for those of you who simply want some Delena time, the next two chapters are for you. :)**

* * *

Damon decided his best move was to take Elena back to the boarding house. He knew Bonnie was expecting Elena home that evening, but something inside of him refused to let her leave without him fixing the situation first. He called Bonnie from the car and explained Elena would be staying with him for the evening. She seemed opposed to the arrangement, but after he insisted Elena would be perfectly safe with him, she withdrew with an, "Ok."

When they arrived at the boarding house he laid her feeble body on the couch and asked, "Is there anything I get for you?" She responded with a shake of her head.

Damon looked at the fragile state of Elena inquisitively. He didn't know why, actually he knew exactly why, but he couldn't leave her. He was magically bound to wherever she was. So he succumbed and took a spot next to her on the couch. He sat with her in silence allowing plenty of time for her thoughts to settle. He didn't want to push her and knew she'd talk when she was ready.

After what felt like an eternity of only soft sobs from Elena, she broke her silence.

"I'm sorry you had to witness me unravel the way I did," Elena finally released before whipping a lingering tear from her cheek.

Damon thought to himself, _I've taken arrows in my back for you and I'd gladly do it again, I'd do anything for you_. But he simply retorted, "Don't worry about me. I'm here for you, just like you have tried to be for me in the past. I just hope you don't push me away the same way I did you."

She looked up and with regret in her expression she said, "I'm sorry for dragging you into it."

With a roll of his eyes Damon replied, "I'm always dragged into it, Elena. That's what being the villain gets you."

Elena showed no response to his remark. It was obvious she was in no mood for his normal sarcastic behavior, so he decided to soften his approach. He knew she had enough to worry about and he didn't need her bothering with the idea that she had offended him.

He lifted his hand and gently traced the outline of her chin as he said, "My actions haven't always been amicable, and I know that. You spoke the truth and it needed to be said. You did nothing wrong."

To Damon's surprise, she began crying hysterically again before pulling him into a tight embrace.

* * *

"I don't know why I am so upset," Elena managed to get out in between sobs. "A part of me knew this would happen all along."

"It still doesn't change the fact that it did happen and it's natural to be hurt," Damon responded.

She released her grip on him, pulled away and composed herself. "It _did_ happen and I _am_ hurt. Honestly, I would have rather Stefan moved on to Caroline or Bonnie; it would have been easier, but not _her_," Elena said with disdain in her voice.

Who was she kidding? Elena knew she would have been hurt regardless of who Stefan moved on to, but moving on to Katherine… the same person who had tried and successfully hurt so many of the people she loved, left her feeling betrayed. She always assumed Stefan had more heart than that, but apparently he didn't.

Damon saw through her lie and stated, "Obviously, I'm a little shocked noble Stefan so willingly surrendered to Katherine's manipulative game, but it wouldn't have mattered who he moved onto, Elena. You're in love with him." Elena noticed he flinched as he said that phrase. "It would have hurt regardless of who he was with because he wasn't with you."

Elena decided she needed some time to roll that thought around before responding. She stood and walked to the liquor stand noticing Damon's eyes never straying from her. She uncorked the bottle of scotch and poured herself a tall drink. She brought it to her lips and drank deeply relishing the soothing comfort that followed. She poured another glass for herself as well as Damon, returned to the couch and handed it to him.

She took another drink before saying, "I _was_ in love with Stefan and part of me always will be. I was absolutely head over heels in love with him. I have dreamed about the future and he always played a leading part in it, but I've drifted."

She paused to take a large gulp of her drink before continuing, "Of course I still have feelings for him, hence the whole breaking down thing."

Elena rolled her eyes at her last statement and announced, "But I no longer feel the tie to him that I previously have. Time apart has forced me to come to terms with certain things."

"That being," Damon pushed.

Elena was astonished by how sincere Damon was acting. She knew they had developed a friendship, but it was a rocky one. Rocky enough that she honestly thought he didn't care half of the time. He had pulled her in and pushed her out of his life enough to give her whiplash. And she had always chalked those times he had pulled her in as being just a game; because with Damon it had always been a game. In the past she had simply been just another conquest for him; a possible prize to hold over Stefan's head.

But this time it felt different. He seemed genuinely concerned for her; almost like he cared. The idea that he was no longer following an agenda sent a shiver down her spine. She was terrified to unload her truths on him, but at the moment she had no one else and he appeared so willing to listen, so she gave in.

Elena took a deep breath and said, "Stefan consoled me when my entire world was falling apart. My parents had just died and I needed someone to help me put the pieces of my life back together. He made me feel less alone, which was exactly what I needed at the time."

"And you don't need that now?" questioned Damon.

"No. I must admit, when he became trapped in the tomb, I sank back into that broken state of mind. I felt alone. Elijah promised to protect me, but I still lived in fear that at any moment he would go back on his word. Stefan wasn't around to lift that fear and you pushed me away. Everyone else was around, but that feeling of security I get from the two of wasn't there. I felt abandoned."

Damon tried to interrupt, but she continued. "I now understand that was exactly what I needed. I have been relying on Stefan, and occasionally you, to keep me safe. You both felt so obligated and I took advantage of that. I'm really sorry.

"I never felt obligated to do anything, Elena. We did everything because we care about you. Yes, I used the c word, so don't go spreading that around," joked Damon.

Elena smiled and shook her head as she said, "Regardless of why you did it, I am still sorry. I relied on the two of you to keep me safe and I had been relying solely on Stefan for my happiness. I needed the time alone to realize my own strength and really come to terms with what _I_ want. You wouldn't believe it after tonight's breakdown, but I have since learned to climb out of that abandoned state on my own."

She took another sip of her drink, shook her head and announced, "But that's not the reason my feelings have changed. They've changed because of something I have known all along."

Damon shot her a confused look.

Elena asked, "Did you know that I have feared the inevitable since Stefan's been trapped in that tomb?"

"The inevitable?" asked Damon.

"I was so worried about Katherine's intentions for Stefan and then it hit me. I was worried because I knew it was only a matter of time before he realized."

Damon appeared to already know what she going to say, but he played along anyway and asked, "Realized what?"

"He was still in love with Katherine," answered Elena before taking another drink.

"Ah," replied Damon with understanding and mimicking her action.

Elena continued, "Deep down I always knew Stefan's love for me was derived from his love for Katherine. It was the reason he sought me out in the first place. But because I needed him so passionately, I pushed those thoughts to the side and simply ignored them. I know once he discovered I was nothing like Katherine he developed entirely original feelings for me, but they still originated because of his past relationship with her."

"But he was compelled into loving her. It wasn't real love," said Damon.

Elena lifted her finger and shook it back and forth before saying, "That's where you're wrong. Caroline told me the true story given to her from Katherine. He was never compelled. Whatever feelings he had, and definitely still has for Katherine are genuine."

Damon let out a snort and asked, "And you're going to believe a story passed down to you from Katherine? Everything she says is a misconstrued lie to get what she wants."

Elena stared at her glass. She couldn't disagree with that statement, but pushed her point anyway. "I believe it because I finally witnessed it firsthand this afternoon. I saw the fire in his eyes when he looked into hers. He still loves her, Damon."

* * *

Damon had no idea why he was defending his brother's honor against the girl he loved, but the words continued to escape like vomit. "Even if he does have unresolved issues with Katherine, it doesn't mean he cares for her more than he cares for you."

"And that gets me to my point. I know what I want now, and I'm strong enough to hold out for it. I've learned that I don't want to be with someone because I am their better choice. I want to be with someone because I am their _only_ choice."

Damon finished his drink and felt like screaming, _you're my only choice_, but simply nodded in understanding and said, "I'm sorry, Elena."

Elena turned to look at him and a smile actually graced her lips. "It's ok. I had my momentary breakdown and I'm free to move on."

"Everyone's allowed a breakdown here and there. I know I've had my fair share, except mine tend to lead in a more demonic direction." Damon laughed at his own joke and admitted, "I don't think crying would really hold up well with my bad vampire image."

Elena let out a genuine laugh causing Damon to realize it was the most incredible sound he had ever heard. She then replied, "You're bad vampire image doesn't scare me, Damon."

"Of course not; you're stronger now," Damon mocked.

Elena knew his comment had been laced in sarcasm, but she shrugged it off and said, "I know it's a show. You still have a heart in there, even if it's not beating."

Damon narrowed his eyes at Elena, wondering how they had gotten to this point. They had come to know each other so well, and yet; there were so many things he was still keeping from her.

Before he had time to counter her accusation, Elena looked at her empty glass and held it up. She then asked, "So what do you say we have a few more drinks in respect to my new found enlightenment?"

Damon gave her a questioning glance. He wasn't sure if she needed anymore to drink, but he had always been unable to refuse Elena of what she desired.

Instead he removed her empty glass from her hand, bowed gracefully and asked, "What will it be my dear, your wish is my command."

* * *

**Uh oh! They're breaking out the alcohol and we all know anythings possible when drinks are involved...**


	7. Chapter 7

**_I am loving your feedback and I wanted to say thank you so much. You have no idea how great it is to get a positive response about your own work, especially when it is your first attempt. Some of you have even posted every time and I can't thank you enough._**

**But back to the story...**

**This chapter ended up being extremely long, but I figured you all wouldn't mind. Damon and Elena had a lot of obstacles they needed to overcome in order to make a connection between them realistic. I hope I was able to approach and deal with these obstacles in a way you all as readers will believe. If not, please let me know. I'm feeling very vulnerable about posting this chapter because every time I read it, I make a correction to one of their statements. Typically before posting I will review a chapter once and be fine with it. Not so much with this one. After making alterations 26294749 times, I decided to just post as is. It appears I will never be completely satisfied with this chapter, and I've come to terms with that. So yes, please let me know if something doesn't make sense or whatnot.**

**Sorry about my rant, but I had to explain why it took so long for me to post this chapter. I hope you all like it. :)**

* * *

Elena was absolutely drunk; of this Damon was sure. They sat on the same couch nearly 6 hours after their discussion regarding Stefan had ended; straying only once to partake in Damon's late night quesadilla snack suggestion.

Damon was well aware of how close Elena was and he vibrated with anxiety at the thought of it. Every few sentences, Elena had reached down and placed her hand on his leg. Damon knew this was simply to balance herself, but the idea of it being more was more than enough to keep him there all night.

Elena was attempting to tell a story regarding a field trip her, Caroline, and Bonnie had taken to the Mystic Falls Zoo, but kept losing track of her thoughts.

"And Bonnie decided it was a good idea to hit Tyler over the head with her stuffed gorilla." She lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned into him as if she was telling him an incredibly important secret and whispered, "Just between you and me, I think it was because she had a crush on him." Following this, Elena let out a laugh contagious enough to make a funeral audience join it.

Damon responded genuinely with his own laugh and thought she looked absolutely beautiful. It had been far too long since he had seen Elena smile this much, and it was a glorious site to see. It didn't matter that it had taken more than 10 drinks to get her to this state of bliss, she was here and that was the important thing.

Elena broke through his strain of thoughts by waving her hand in front of his face and slurring, "Hello, earth to Damon. I'm in the middle of a very important story regarding a gorilla and… who was I talking about? Oh yes, Bonnie. Bonnie and her stuffed gorilla! Are you still listening?"

Damon chuckled and repositioned his body to show his full attention to her. Elena giggled in response and his frozen heart melted. Her chocolate brown eyes rested on his for a minute before she blushed and looked away. She then waved her hand dismissively through the air and said, "Nevermind; the story really isn't that interesting anyway. Let's turn on some music."

She threw herself off of the couch before immediately falling back down. In a flash Damon was there to catch her fall. She looked up at him, let out a laugh filled with embarassment, and asked, "What would I have done without you?"

Damon replied, "More than likely you'd have continued falling into the soft comfortable couch behind you, but we both know I can never resist the opportunity to show off my super speed."

"So very true," Elena agreed.

He lifted her into an upright position and released her. She made her way to the stereo and sifted through the radio stations before stopping on Marilyn Manson's "Tainted Love." At the sound of it she threw her arms up over her head, closed her eyes, tilted her head back and began singing along to the lyrics.

Damon tried to take his eyes off of Elena finding it inappropriate to stare, but he was completely captivated by her. She was a firework bursting with colors and he feared if he blinked he would miss one.

She shimmied her way back over to Damon and pleaded, "Dance with me?"

He shook his head and through a grin he shouted, "No way!"

She grabbed his wrist, batted her eyelashes seductively and begged, "Please? You know you can't resist me."

_If only she knew._ Damon gave in. He flashed from the couch and had a hand wrapped around Elena's back before she had time to blink. He threw her into a dip and teased, "You're lucky dancing's my specialty."

He lifted her back into an upright position causing Elena to sway. Once she regained her balance, she took the opportunity to grind her body against his. She slowly lifted her eyes and questioned, "Is there anything you aren't good at?"

Damon shot her his famous grin and said, "Of course, breeding bunnies. Every time I tried, Stefan got hungry. I kept telling him this was the one skill I hadn't mastered and it was of incredible importance that I did, but he couldn't help himself."

Elena slapped him on the shoulder and responded, "Oh that's horrible. You had better be joking!"

Damon eyes narrowed as he raised his eyebrows up and down. He smiled, took her wrist and threw her into a spin before saying, "Of course I'm joking, Elena. I'm good at everything."

She let out another contagious laugh as she spun back into him. Her face rested nearly inches from his and their eyes stared into each others, neither one attempting to pull away. Damon could feel the invitation of her warm breath against his lips, but made no attempt to accept.

After seconds Elena blinked breaking the connection and reversed her stance. She once again began moving her hips seductively causing the back side of her body to slide against the front of his. Damon felt desire wash over him, but snapped back to reality before he had given in.

He stole a glance at the clock on the wall and noticed it showed almost 3am. It had been a very long day for both of them and she desperately needed to get some rest. With the amount of alcohol in her system, he predicted she would be sleeping long past noon.

He slowed his hips and she mimicked his movement. The sudden sensual change to her rhythm made his body go stiff. _It was definitely time to get Elena to bed._

She continued the grinding motion until she noticed he was standing in place. She turned to face him with an inquisitive brow and questioned, "Why did you stop?"

"I think it's time we both call it a night. It's getting pretty late," he answered.

She pursed her lips into a pout, which Damon realized made her look exactly like a 2-year old, and made her way back onto the couch. She flopped down and moved her hand in a circular movement motioning him to sit next to her.

Damon rolled his eyes, but complied by joining her.

* * *

Elena knew she was entering dangerous territory. Her sensed were blurred and she was just a little more buzzed than she would have liked. But she was enjoying herself and it had been way too long since the last time she had relaxed. To be honest, she couldn't remember the last time she let loose and had this much fun. But, she knew with 100% certainty that she was not ready for the night to end.

She glanced at Damon sitting next to her and felt an incredible desire to touch his flawless face. It felt like his icy blue eyes tore through her exterior and right to her soul. She had never felt more comfortable and; yet, completely uncomfortable at the same time.

So much had changed between them in the time they had spent apart. _She_ had changed. She had become stronger, but knew he was more than strong enough to compliment her newly found self. Feelings she previously held had disappeared and others had emerged in their place. She wasn't sure how or why this happened, but at the moment she simply wanted to embrace them. But before she did, there were a few things she needed to get out of the way.

She shot an intense look at Damon and continued her thoughts out loud, "You have hurt so many people that I love and I should hate you. You have manipulated me, drank from my friends, turned innocents into vampires, and ultimately killed my brother."

Damon's face turned to one of regret. Elena noticed this changed, but it didn't reverse his past actions.

"What happened to you, Damon?" Elena asked.

Damon appeared confused as he asked, "What exactly do you mean? I don't need a rhyme or reason for why I do what I do. But most of those events have a tendancy to be a result of my encounters with one evil vampire, who sort of resembles you."

Elena knew it was going to be difficult to get him to open up again. He had lowered his protective gate once today and the likelihood of him doing it again was slim to none, but she had to try. "That's not what I mean, Damon. When you first showed up in this town you were the epitome of evil. You try hard to prove that it's still in you now, but it's not. You care about the people you hurt. You haven't always, but something changed. Instead of dedicating yourself to harming people, you have switched and now dedicate everything to protecting them. What happened? What made you switch?"

Damon furrowed his brow. He appeared reluctant to continue the conversation, but he answered, "I don't dedicate myself to protecting them, Elena. There is one person I will risk anything to protect and that is you. As much as I hate to admit this, you have managed to change a bit of who I am, but just a bit. I care about what happens to you, but don't mistake that for good. I am still evil."

Elena rummaged through her thoughts silently before ultimately releasing a large sigh. She then said, "I should still hate you for what you did, but I can't. You have done things in the past that have really pissed me off; actually, you have been a complete ass! But despite what you think, you have also done things that prove you aren't all evil. They don't exactly make up for your past actions, but they help to even the scale a little."

Damon's expression had returned to it's normal icy glare and she had no idea if what she was about to say would effect him in any way, but she had to say it anyway. "I have told you in the past that I would never forgive you for what you did to Jeremy, but I wanted to let you know that I do. You have shown there is enough good in you for me to forgive you."

Evidently her forgiveness meant more to Damon than she had expected. She could see his expression change slightly into gratitude, or maybe it was relief. She knew he was trying to appear unaffected, but she could read him like a book. He made no action other than taking a sip of his drink before replying, "That's not smart of you, Elena. You have more faith in my intentions than I do."

As simply as it came, his honesty had disappeared once again. Elena rolled her eyes knowing it was silly to think Damon was capable of holding an entire conversation without his protective barrier, but she decided to ram right through it as she blurted out, "I really missed you when you pushed me away."

Damon looked down at her and frowned. She could tell he felt terrible about his actions in the past, but he confirmed them. "I'm sorry for what I've put you through, but for once I was following through with what I thought was best."

Damon let out a sigh and began, "I'm dangerous, Elena. It's in my very nature. I tend to act without," he paused as though trying to find the correct word, "…thinking."

Elena narrowed her eyes at him, but he continued. "I didn't want to bring any more opportunities for something or someone to hurt you, we both know you succeed in that well enough on your own," he joked and hit his shoulder lightly on hers.

"But don't you think I should have had a say in whether I wanted you around or not?" Elena questioned.

Damon smirked and said, "You don't always choose your safest choices, Elena. And I feared if I left that decision up to you, you'd have picked the wrong choice."

Elena leaned into him making sure he was looking directly into her eyes and stated, "First off, I'm strong and wise enough to make my own decisions. And second, why would you ever believe yourself to be the wrong choice?"

Damon's face closed nearly all of the remaining space between them as he whispered with determination, "Everything you said earlier about the past actions I have made are enough to prove to you that I will always be the wrong choice. If I _was_ the right one, I would have never made them in the first place and there would have never been a need for you to forgive me. I will never be your safest bet and don't you ever forget that."

Elena's eyes closed slightly, he was so close that she could almost taste him. His scent was intoxicating and overwhelming her and before she knew what she was doing, she whispered in response, "I think you're wrong. But if you're not, then maybe the wrong choice is exactly the one I was always supposed to make." She brought her lips to his slowly only to find his made no movement in response. She pulled away to see a pained expression consuming his face.

"Did I do something wrong?" questioned Elena.

Damon placed his hand on the side of her face, pure sadness reflecting from his eyes, and said, "Of course you didn't, but no matter what you think at this exact moment, it will change tomorrow. You'll realize I'm not the right choice, Elena, and I am definitely not the person you think I am."

She tilted her head to the side and smiled before stating, "Deep down you have always been the person, well vampire, I thought you were. You're impulsive and make bad decisions sometimes, but like you said, that's in your very nature and I have forgiven you for that."

Elena moved her lips until they were millimeters from his. She could feel the static react from the closeness of their skin as she said, "And every day you have slowly transitioned into the amazing, caring, and honest vampire I knew you were capable of becoming."

She then pressed her lips against his for a second time, but this time with a little effort from her part, his responded with a tender kiss. She felt his hand lift and graze the bottom of her chin and in return she wrapped a hand around the back of his neck.

There was nothing else she could add to the moment to make it more perfect. Damon had released his defensive walls and she felt completely at ease. With each motion of their lips she felt herself fall deeper into bliss.

Her tongue slipped to the edge of her mouth and teased the traces of his lips. They parted in response allowing her tongue to massage against his. Damon wrapped his arms protectively around her waist and pulled her into a passionate embrace. His right hand reached up to her face and then slid down her back and finished by wrapping itself around the outer side of her thigh.

Her entire body was responding; it felt like it was on fire and it was only building in heat. She wanted more of him, all of him, and not just for tonight.

Following his lead, she lifted one leg before placing it on the opposite side of Damon's causing her to settle into a straddling position. She ran her fingertips along the back of his neck and noticed him slightly shudder at the touch.

In response, she felt Damon's free hand move to the back of her neck and into her hair. It was only seconds before it had become completely entangled.

Sensing his desire, she pushed her body against his and moved her hips in a slow rhythm to show what she was craving. She knew he wanted the exact thing because she could feel the solid evidence underneath of her.

She began kissing him more passionately, breathes escaping rapidly from her mouth, before Damon immediately stopped and pulled away; throwing his arms up to resist her from continuing.

Elena brought her head back slowly and stared at him in disbelief.

* * *

Damon was absolutely crawling inside. His craving for Elena was more intense than it had ever been. He wanted nothing more than to carry her to his bedroom and finish what they started, but he couldn't do it. Not tonight.

Elena's heart had been shattered only hours ago and she was drunk. She had obviously only forgiven him because of the amount of alcohol in her system, and she definitely only wanted him for the same reason. She was vulnerable and he wanted no part in taking advantage of her. As much as it pained him, he let out an unnecessary breath and said, "I'm sorry, Elena, but I can't do this."

She stared at him with pure shock in her eyes before it turned to embarrassment.

He immediately felt the need to explain himself, "Not that I don't want to. Oh god do I want to, but not tonight. Too much has happened and if this were to truly happen between us, I would want it to be when we're both ready."

She interjected him and said, "I'm ready."

He tucked a piece of her chestnut hair behind her ear and said, "You're not ready. So much has happened to you today. You're dealing with everything that went down with Stefan and you've had a lot to drink. I'm just protecting you from doing something you'll regret later."

He hated admitting it to himself, but he knew in the morning Elena would wake up and realize the dream occurring to him now was indeed her nightmare. And he couldn't bear for her to feel that regret.

She removed herself from his lap and spoke with intense anger, "I'm not the fragile creature you think I am and I'm perfectly capable of making my own decision; but thank you for once again making my decision for me. I thought we went over this, but you obviously weren't listening to a thing I just said."

Damon stood to face her and pleaded, "It's for the best, I promise you. Tomorrow you will thank me for this."

"Whatever you say," she spat. "What bed can I sleep in other than yours or Stefan's?"

Damon attempted to take her hand, but she swatted him away. He sighed and instead led the way to a spare bedroom. He didn't enter because it was obvious she had no desire for him to. She walked past him and took a seat on the edge of the bed before saying, "Goodnight."

Damon took one last glance at the fantasy he just denied and said, "You'll forgive me in the morning."

* * *

**Sorry guys, but I couldn't give you what you wanted just yet. It wouldn't really be much of a story if I had. I hope you enjoyed the chapter anyway.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Now that I actually have a semi-relationship developed, I was able to start incorporating more of a plot. Supernatural aspects of the story return in this chapter and you also have a lot more interaction with other characters instead of just our leading couple.**

**Hope you guys like it! Remember, comments rock my world!**

* * *

Elena awoke the next morning to a pounding headache. She grunted, rolled over and attempted to fall back asleep, but the sunlight shined brightly through her window in opposition. She pushed her tangled hair from her face and rubbed her sleepy eyes before pulling herself out of bed.

The sudden change in altitude caused her head to scream in agony and it took every ounce of strength she had to resist crawling back into bed. But instead she walked to the vanity mirror of the guest bedroom and glanced at her reflection. She ran the awaiting hairbrush through her hair, wiped the eyeliner from under her eyes and decided to face what awaited her downstairs.

She could hear Damon in the kitchen and groaned. Elena had made a complete ass out of herself the previous night, but she couldn't help thinking she'd do the exact same thing if given a do-over, perhaps with just a bit more poise. This thought came as a complete shock and almost knocked her off of her feet. She understood why her feelings were so strong for Damon the night before, but why this morning?

Alcohol had played a very large part in her actions last night, but she was completely sure she had no alcohol affecting her thought process now. So why couldn't she get the feeling of his lips against hers out of her head? And why did she so desperately want to do it again?

Elena rubbed her temples with her fingertips in frustration. Whatever feelings she was experiencing for Damon were new and completely out of left field. _Well, not exactly. _ She knew they had experienced a connection since they first met. The two of them had always shared an understanding about the other, but evidently, her body was telling her that she wanted to share more than just an understanding with Damon. Thinking about him had never made her feel the way she did at this exact moment. Her entire body was tingling in the anticipation that he might resume touching her the way he had been last night.

Elena let her thoughts roam and as they did enlightenment swept through her. She remembered how free he had been during certain moments last night. The fact that she was the one who brought him this sense of freedom caused a smile to part her lips. She had witnessed his moments of pure truth, and although they were very seldom, they left her breathless. She had finally been able to dig past the sarcastic rough exterior to who he really was, and she was not about to let him pile the dirt back on.

She then remembered the way Damon had reacted when she practically threw herself at him. She knew he had wanted her just as badly as she wanted him, but he had thrown up his damn protective barriers again. How was she going to show him that he was what she wanted? Not simply because Stefan had let her down, but because Damon had learned how not to. And more importantly, how was she ever going to prove to him that he wasn't the monster he viewed himself as? But most importantly, how was she ever going to apologize for being such an overdramatic drunken mess!

Elena shook her head in frustration and walked hesitantly to the doorway of the kitchen. Damon, who had been flipping pancakes on the griddle, stopped and looked up to meet her stare. His lips lifted into a sideways grin before mocking, "Good morning, rock star."

Elena rubbed her eyes and walked to the kitchen table. She let herself slump into one of its Victorian chairs and muttered, "Do not call me that. I'm in no mood for your witty banter this morning, Damon."

He set a glass of water on the table, brought her a plate and placed 3 pancakes on it before joking, "C'mon Elena, you know witty banter's one of my many specialties."

She groaned and said, "Evidently everything is your specialty, but this particular one is giving me a headache."

He flashed to the cupboard and back placing two Tylenol in front of her and replied, "I think that would be the double-digit amount of drinks you consumed last night that's giving you a headache."

Elena took a sip of her drink and swallowed the Tylenol. She then sighed and looked up at Damon. "I actually need to talk to you about that. I'm sorry…."

But she didn't have time to continue her sentence. Her cell phone rang and flashed Caroline's name on the front.

Elena hesitated, but Damon insisted, "Answer it. We can finish once you're done."

She picked up the phone and said, "Good morning, Caroline."

"Actually it's the afternoon, but that's beside the point. I'm outside of Damon's and I absolutely need my best friend right now," begged Caroline.

Elena rolled her eyes and noticed Damon had done the very same thing. "How did you know I was here?"

Caroline let out an overdramatic breath of air and answered, "Bonnie told me, but that's not important. I really need to talk to you!"

"What's wrong," Elena asked.

"Eww, I don't want Damon hearing all of my personal business. Please come out so we can talk. I'll even give you a ride home…" Caroline pleaded.

Elena sighed and said, "Fine. Give me two minutes." She clicked her phone shut and focused her attention back on Damon. She shot him an apologetic glance and said, "I'm sorry, but it appears Caroline needs some girl time."

Damon shrugged and replied, "No big, we've got ages to talk. You deal with Princess Barbie and I'll deal with my lack of supplement in the basement."

Elena walked over and wrapped her arms in a tight grasp around him. "Thank you," she said.

He patted her shoulder awkwardly and replied, "Any time."

* * *

_Well that wasn't awkward_, Damon thought to himself sarcastically. He was almost relieved to have Elena out of the house. He knew their conversation was not headed in the direction he was hoping, and the thought of her rejecting him once again made his heart clench up.

It was pitiful how he revolved around Elena like she was the sun and he was her planet, but he couldn't help it. He wanted so badly to be the person; well vampire, she thought he was, but he wasn't sure he had it in him. Her idea of him was so completely construed. He thought to himself, _not even in my world of fantasy would Elena choose to be with someone like me_.

The vibrations of Damon's cell phone interrupted his thoughts. He walked over and saw the last name he ever expected to be calling him.

"Did you dial the wrong number, Bonnie?" asked Damon.

"Shut up and listen, Damon," she demanded. "I've figured out how to get Stefan out of the tomb."

Damon's eyes narrowed. He immediately felt like he was balancing on a tightrope; and either way he leaned, he was going to fall. On one side he had made a promise to Stefan that he felt bound to withhold. But on the other side, he wasn't sure if he was ready to release his brother from the tomb after the stunt he pulled yesterday. Either choice would result in his lose of the girl he was desperately clinging on to. Damon ultimately gave in and responded, "Go on."

* * *

Elena sat herself in the passenger seat of Caroline's car, just narrowly avoiding being slapped by one of her friend's hands. Her friend was spastically waving them in front of her face as she cried out, "Elena, something terrible has happened!"

"What are you talking about, Caroline? What's happened?" Elena asked with genuine concern.

Caroline returned her stare with wide eyes before answering, "Tyler kissed me last night."

Elena felt the urge to burst out laughing, but only a smile escaped her well-composed expression. Her friend could be so over-dramatic. But that was one of the reasons Elena loved spending time with Caroline; it gave her an incredible sense of normalcy. It was almost as if they were two human girls sharing a completely normal conversation about their problems concerning the opposite sex. Elena thought to herself, _at least half of this is normal_.

Caroline read through Elena's composed expression and yelled, "Elena! I need your full attention. I hardly think the idea of a werewolf kissing me is something to just shrug off!"

Elena focused her attention on her friend and said, "You have my undivided attention, but so what? Tyler kissed you. I know you like him, Caroline. So what's the big deal?"

Caroline replied with sadness in her voice, "The big deal is…I still like Matt too."

Elena's heart melted for her friend. Despite Caroline's superficial exterior, she really had a heart of gold, and Elena could see this kiss was tearing her friend apart. Luckily, Elena knew exactly how to approach the topic. She had become a master at juggling mixed emotions since she had been dealing with the same issue for the past two months.

Elena extended her arm to wrap around her friend and said, "Aww Caroline, it's going to be ok. It's perfectly natural to have feelings for two people at the same time..."

But Caroline pulled away and interrupted, "That's not entirely the problem."

"What other problem is there?" questioned Elena.

Caroline bit her lip and said, "I really like Tyler. You know that, I know that; probably everyone knows that, except Matt. I still care for Matt and I don't want to hurt him, but how would you handle hearing that your ex-girlfriend moved onto your best friend?"

Before Elena could help herself, she spat out sarcastically, "Probably better than your ex-girlfriend moved onto your brother." Elena's eyes bounced open when she realized what had slipped her mouth.

Caroline shot Elena a questioned glance and questioned, "What the heck did you just say?"

Elena knew perfectly well her friend had just heard her comment in surround sound and had no intention of repeating it. She tried to maneuver the conversation back to Caroline's issue and said, "Matt will never hate you, no matter who you move on to."

Caroline was no fool; instead she redirected the conversation back to Elena and asked with narrowed eyes, "When did you and Damon decide you were friends again?"

Elena sighed knowing perfectly well that by the end of the conversation, her friend would know everything. She wasn't sure if she was ready for that, but she had no choice now.

"Alright, but once we're done sorting through my issues we're going to tackle yours. I'll start at the beginning. I went and visited Stefan at the tomb yesterday," Elena admitted.

Caroline's eyes opened wide as she let out a gasp and said, "Oh my god, Elena, tell me everything!"

* * *

Damon heard Bonnie's car pull into the circle driveway only 20 minutes after their phone conversation had ended. Bonnie had given him strict instruction to follow before she got there. He had no idea what purpose the river water, flower, and tiki torch he had gathered were going to serve, but he couldn't care less. As long as they worked in freeing his brother, Damon was satisfied.

The item gathering had taken Damon a mere 4 minutes, which had left him 16 minutes to dwell on his previous decision. He knew releasing Stefan had been the original plan for weeks, but the idea of him running straight back into Elena's arms made Damon's insides recoil. And even worse, he thought to himself, _what if she took him back_?

Damon punched the wall in frustration, wishing he could somehow transform back into the malicious vampire he was almost a year ago. But it was useless, _he had changed_ and; therefore, felt the undesirable need to help his brother.

Damon let out an unnecessary breath before he opened the door and invited Bonnie inside.

Before he had the chance to say hello, she started, "Let's get to the point, Damon. You're not exactly my favorite person in the world, but I'm here to help Stefan. Let's get this done as quickly as we can so I can go back to ignoring your existence." She paused to shoot him a fake smile and asked, "Did you get the items I asked you to get?"

Damon held up the water, flower, and tiki torch and replied, "Got 'em. What exactly do we need these for anyway?"

Bonnie took out a large ancient looking book from her carrier bag. She dodged the first question and said, "I've brought the spell that counters the original spell that Emily created."

Damon replied, "I know Bonnie, but you've had that spell since we originally opened the tomb. You know, when all of the scorned vampires ran wild? And if I'm not mistaken, you're just a little too weak to make it work."

Bonnie rolled her eyes and said, "I've learned a lot in the past few weeks. I'm much stronger than I was, Damon."

"What is it with you girls and you inferior desire to be stronger," Damon mocked.

Bonnie appeared puzzled and asked, "What?"

Damon shook his head and said, "Nevermind. I don't care how strong you claim to be, there's no way you can get into that tomb on your own."

"I plan on channeling enough strength from the elements," Bonnie announced.

Damon looked at the items in his hand and understood. He shook them at Bonnie and said, "Earth, water, and fire. Elements, got it." He lifted his eyebrows causing his forehead to crease and asked, "What about the fourth element?"

Bonnie shot Damon an irritated glance before she grabbed the items out of his hand and said, "I think we have enough air floating around us to use. Now let's get Stefan out of this tomb."

"Just one more question," interjected Damon. "How exactly did you learn to channel the elements?"

Bonnie hesitated, "Well, I…um, a friend taught me."

"Lucy?" asked Damon while taking a step towards Bonnie.

"Not exactly," she said.

Damon had his hand around Bonnie's throat in an instant. Black veins streaked their way from the edges of his eyes as he threw her up against the wall and spat, "There's another witch in town and you didn't find it thoughtful to inform anyone else about it?"

Damon saw flashes of light before he grabbed his head in agony. It felt like everything inside of his head was exploding under the pressure and in response his other hand released from Bonnie's neck. He fell crippled to the floor.

Once the pain subsided, he lifted himself and said, "Damnit, Bonnie. You know that's not fighting fair."

"And using your super-human strength against me is? You obviously needed someone to calm your ass down," she replied.

"And of course you couldn't miss an opportunity to torture me," muttered Damon. "We had better get going, but don't think you're off the hook. We will be discussing your other witch friend later. If there is another witch running around this town, they could very easily be on an opposite side than ours."

* * *

**I just love angry sarcastic Damon. He is by far my favorite part of the Vampire Diaries!**

**I will be posting the next chapter on Thursday. :)**

_**Do you think they will be successful in rescuing Stefan from his imprisonment?**_


	9. Chapter 9

**I feel like I am writing a soap opera right now since both of my main characters are in different locations doing their own thing. I promise there will be more Delena scenes, but unfortunately not in this chapter. I hope you all still enjoy it. :)**

**Also, I hate doing this but I have to. If you are enjoying this story or have any critiques please comment and let me know. I absolutely love reading what everyone thinks. Also, comments get other readers to check out the story. It only takes a second and means the world to me. I know some of you comment all of the time and I once again want to thank you all for that. But, for all of you that will hopefully comment in the future and all that just read the story, THANK YOU!  
**

* * *

Elena had just finished recapping yesterday's events when Caroline responded, "You are such a little hooch!"

Elena laughed in embarrassment and playfully hit Caroline in the arm. She responded jokingly, "This is coming from the girl who has slept with nearly one third of the football team!"

Caroline pretended to be offended and said, "Please! It was only the first string."

They both laughed, but it didn't last long. Elena looked up to see Caroline's innocent school-girl face replaced by one full of astonishment.

Caroline's voice was filled with awe as she stated, "I can't believe he denied you. It's blatantly obvious the prick wants you." She shook her head in disbelief and continued, "But for real, Elena, I never expected the feelings were mutual. Why Damon of all people? First off, he's Stefan's brother. And second, is he really worth the crap you are constantly going to have to put up with if you _do_ date him?"

Elena had to laugh at that. She knew Damon was a work in progress, but she had been witnessing his transformation since he first stepped foot in Mystic Falls. Even though he still hadn't mastered the ability to show his caring nature to everyone, he had shown her, and she relished in the idea that she was the one causing this transformation in him.

Elena smiled before answering, "Don't get me wrong, everything kind of caught me off guard this morning too! I was not expecting any of this to happen. And let me tell you; it's not going to be easy, I can definitely agree with you on that; but he's changing, Caroline. I've seen the _real _Damon."

"You can't be serious?" mocked Caroline.

Elena noticed they had arrived at her house, but remained seated. She had a point to make and she was going to force Caroline to understand it.

"Stick with me. I can't even count how many times Damon has risked his life to save me, or put my protection before everything else. He's done this because he loves me. I know it sounds crazy, but I just know he does. When it comes to me, he's selfless. I know it's a hard thought to grasp, Damon of all people, being selfless. But that's because he has become a master at pretending he doesn't care. He has built these walls so high around him that no one could get through. Well I've gotten through, Caroline. I've seen what he's really capable of and it's spectacular."

Caroline didn't appear to have been sold on the idea. "Spectacular?" she questioned in disbelief.

"Yes. He's kind, and loving, and loyal and everything he doesn't believe himself to be." Elena paused and said, "That is what's going to make _us_ so difficult; not honesty, or compassion, or selflessness. The only true test will be forcing Damon to realize who he really is."

Elena saw the understanding spread across her friends face and asked, "Do you understand why I can't walk away from him now?"

Caroline nodded her head and said in defeat, "Yeah, I get it." Almost as if sensing the atmosphere had gotten too serious, Caroline continued, "I guess he does have the whole bad-boy-with-a-heart-of-gold thing down pat. Come to think of it, if he hadn't used and abused me for those first few months and I wasn't already torn between two guys, I might actually take a shot at Damon."

Elena giggled and replied, "I think you have more than enough guys to handle at the moment."

"So true," Caroline responded with a roll of her eyes. She then focused them back on Elena and asked, "When are you going to tell Stefan?"

Elena paused for a second and said, "After the crap he pulled yesterday, I don't really owe him anything. I'll tell him eventually, but right now he doesn't really need more reason to be angry with Damon. They have enough issues to deal with on their own and I hate being partially responsible. Besides, nothing is even going on between Damon and me yet."

"Just make sure you are 100% sure. If your heart's undecided, it can end up creating a huge mess. And be careful, ok? They've been down this road before and I know that Stefan acted like a dick yesterday, but he deserves to know the truth."

Elena nodded in agreement, but was finished talking about her issues. She flipped the conversation back to their previous topic concerning Caroline and her similar tricky love triangle. "As for you, do what _you_ want Caroline. Matt's going to understand better than anyone else that your heart forces you into crazy directions. I mean, his pushed him towards you." Elena laughed before grabbing the car door and lifting herself from the passenger's seat.

She paused before closing the door and said with sincerity, "If you really want to be with Tyler, then you should. But it's not going to be easy. You've said before that you really enjoyed being open with him, but he doesn't know everything. If you are certain about wanting a relationship with him, then you need to understand that it's only going to get more difficult keeping secrets from him. So just make sure you are prepared for that."

Caroline smiled and replied, "Yeah, I'm prepared. I guess he and I have some things to talk about tonight before he changes. Thanks, Elena."

Elena responded with a similar smile and said, "You're welcome, Caroline. Good luck and be careful!"

* * *

Damon stopped his car on the side of the freeway just outside of the woods and motioned for Bonnie to get out. They had only walked a few steps before Bonnie hesitated.

Damon looked at her with a puzzled expression and joked, "Feeling nervous?"

She shot him an irritated glance and replied, "I just want to make sure we're clear. I am only doing this to save Stefan. Katherine is to remain rotting in that tomb."

Damon playfully grabbed Bonnie around the shoulder, forcing her to continue walking and said, "I wouldn't dream of it."

Bonnie removed herself from Damon's grasp and pushed the issue further. "I'm not kidding, Damon. I don't want her taking a step outside of the invisible boundary line and if you plan on pulling some stunt, I'm turning around right now."

Damon rolled his eyes and said, "You don't have to worry, Bonnie."

She stared at him with determination in her eyes and announced, "If you plan on going back on your word, I _will_ end you."

Damon dramatically lifted his hand over his heart and pretended to be offended. His signature grin slashed across his face before he questioned, "Do you even know how?"

The witch made no response, but Damon couldn't help but notice the flicker in her eyes as he asked the question. _Maybe the witch really had learned a few tricks in the short time since he had seen her._

Damon huffed and replied, "I've already got it all figured out. I don't want that bitch out of the tomb anymore than you do."

Bonnie nodded in acceptance and, seeming content with his answer, she continued in the direction of the tomb.

They approached the entrance moments later and Damon called out, "Stefan, I've brought someone to see you."

Stefan walked out from the shadows and questioned, "What's Bonnie doing here?"

Damon wanted to get this over with, so he ignored the question and said, "Here's the deal. We're gonna get you out of here." Damon pointed his finger to the darkness of the tomb and continued, "But she is not coming with you."

Stefan nervously glanced back at the hole and began, "I'm not sure how…"

But Katherine appeared from the darkness and interrupted, "How exactly do you plan on keeping me in here, Damon? As soon as that spell is lifted, I'm leaving; even if that means removing your pretty face from the rest of your body."

Damon laughed and questioned, "How are you feeling, Katherine? Getting a little thirsty? Feeling a little sluggish? I bet your insides are just screaming from the lack of blood in your system."

A menacing smile spread across Katherine's face. She looked at Bonnie and replied, "That's why I wanted to thank you for bringing me such a delicious snack. As soon as this spell is lifted, I have every intention of draining her dry."

Damon was shocked at his brother's silence. Evidently he was going to be receiving no help from Stefan in restraining Katherine. He was truly amazed at how easily the evil vamp had gotten under Stefan's skin. He knew his brother desperately needed to get out of that tomb before that bitch had any more of an effect on him. He glanced at Bonnie and said, "Are you ready?"

She shot him a nervous glance. He knew Katherine's comment had gotten to Bonnie and he needed to ensure her there was no way the malicious vamp was getting anywhere near her. He took the few steps to Bonnie's side and spoke in a confident voice, "You don't have to worry, she's weak. She's only had a few sips of blood in the last 2 months. There is no way she will have the strength to get past me."

Katherine glared at Bonnie and said, "You'd be surprised what I am capable of. I created him. Do you really think he can kill me? He's spent the last 150 years searching for me. And those years would be such a waste if he was to destroy me now."

Bonnie returned her attention to Damon and asked, "What if you're wrong?"

Damon made sure his face expressed his confidence and answered, "I'm not wrong. I can promise you that Katherine will not step a foot outside of that tomb. You have nothing to worry about. I have no problem ripping her heart out. You just do your part in lifting the spell and I'll do my part in keeping that bitch in there. Now, are you ready?"

Apparently Damon had succeeded in convincing Bonnie because she nodded her head. She placed four bowls in a square around her and poured the contents of the water bottle into the bowls. She then picked the petals from the flower and dispersed them evenly amongst the bowls, and lit the tiki torch. She then opened the grimoire to the correct page, looked up and said, "I'm ready."

Damon nodded in response. He shifted his fingers over the masterfully hidden contraption under his sleeve. Silently he thanked Alaric for being so thoughtless as to leave it behind at the boarding house. He also silently regretted not inviting the teacher along. He was confident in his own abilities, but it would have been nice to have some back up.

Bonnie closed her eyes and began chanting in a language Damon was unfamiliar with. The tiki torch began to flicker before it danced through the air in the direction of the first water bowl. The flower and water caught fire and unnaturally large flames expanded from its top.

As soon as the first bowl caught fire, the other 3 magically followed suit. The large flames sprouted like vines from the bowls and shot through the air. The lines of fire dashed and weaved their way around each other masterfully until Bonnie appeared to be standing in a fire cage.

Damon would never admit it to Bonnie, but he was impressed with the witch's new found capabilities. After admiring the magical fire structure, he refocused his attention on Katherine whose hands were placed on the invisible barrier of the tomb. The anticipation in her eyes was more than enough to spark the fuel in Damon's system. Her hand fell slightly through the invisible barrier, signifying the spell had been lifted, and Damon attacked.

Katherine let out a vicious snarl before Damon was on top of her. He shot a wooden stake through her right shoulder, artfully missing her heart, and then another in her left. She threw his body from hers and pounced. She was only on top of Damon for a second before his strength won out. He threw her body against the tomb's rock siding and shot another stake at her stomach.

She regained her balance as she ripped the stake from her stomach. Her eyes darted to the entrance of the tomb, giving away her intentions. Damon charged right at her, but this time she leaped over him into the air. He pummeled into the wall as Katherine made her attempt at the exit.

She had just breached the barrier when he pounced onto her back. She fell to the ground and attempted to throw him off, but she was losing strength. Damon took her head in between his hands and was about to snap her neck when Stefan screamed, "You don't have much time! Bonnie's fading fast!"

The simple turn of his head as he looked towards Bonnie's weakening state was all Katherine needed to gain the upper hand.

She rolled over and sunk her fangs into Damon's right shoulder causing him to scream in agony. Unfortunately for Katherine, this only made his desire to kill her stronger. Damon grabbed her right arm and launched her over the top of his body before slamming her to the ground. He then took another stake from his pocket and forced it through the center of her throat.

Katherine's eyes opened wide revealing pure terror as she pulled at the stake. Blood was overflowing from the corners of her mouth. Damon took the instance to lift her body and throw it against the back wall of the tomb. She smashed into the side wall causing pieces of the rock to crash down on top of her.

Damon took one last glance at her damaged body and dashed out of the tomb before Bonnie fell to the ground. The fire cage diminished instantly with Bonnie's strength and he was over her in a second, but noticed there was no blood on her anywhere. He shook her figure gently and realized she had simply been rendered unconscious. The realization that Bonnie was completely alright, sent a wave of triumph crashing through him. He let out a sigh of relief, and thought to himself, _we did it_.

* * *

**I know, I know... most of you guys didn't want Stefan out of the tomb, but I had to get him out of there for two reasons. First, I have already written 6 more chapters after this one and if I changed this one to keep him in there, then I would have had to rewrite the remaining 6. And I'm lazy. I really didn't want to do that. Secondly, I really think that Elena needs to deal with Stefan before she can ever experience a real relationship with Damon. Despite everything, he is a really great character and love interest for her. The way he acted in the tomb was a momentary lapse for him and I didn't want everyone to continue viewing him as the monster he was a few chapters ago.**

**That being said... I am moving 1,500 miles away this weekend, which means no chapter postings for a couple of days. I will post one more tomorrow and I am really happy to start my break with this chapter. You get to see how Elena and Stefan interact with each other after the stunt he pulled the day before and you get (what I hope is) a really great twist at the end that will keep you on the toes of your feet until the next time I post.  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**Well, here it is guys. My last update for about a week. As much as I love the idea of Delena, I can't deny the connection Stefan and Elena share. They are a very strong couple on their own and it wouldn't have been right for me to simply ignore this. So in this chapter I included a heartfelt conversation which determines where they stand.  
**

**Once again, there are no Delena scenes, and I'm very sorry about that (please don't hate me), but I promise to make it up to you when they see each other again. Hope you like it and I hope the ending leaves you all dying for more!**

* * *

Damon was amazed over the fact that their mission had been a success. He had started to think there was no hope for Stefan's release after hitting so many dead ends. But there his brother stood, free from the tomb that had sheltered him for so many weeks.

He turned to face Stefan and said sarcastically, "That was a piece of cake."

Stefan in response walked over to Damon and wrapped him in a tight embrace as he whispered, "Thank you."

Damon, feeling uncomfortable, tapped his brother's back and said, "Alright, none of that brotherly bonding crap." He then backed away, handed a bottle of animal blood to Stefan and suggested, "Celebratory drink?"

Stefan laughed as he removed the bottle from Damon's hand and drank deeply.

The color immediately reappeared in Stefan's skin and for a moment Damon relished in the fact that he had his brother back. Although they weren't exactly the epitome of a perfect family, Stefan was still his blood, and he was thankful for how the day's events had panned out.

He walked over to Bonnie's body and examined her once more. He knew she was going to be alright. Although he didn't particularly care for the judgmental witch, she had proven her strength today, and he made a mental note to genuinely thank her once she regained consciousness.

He returned his glance to Stefan who was finishing the last bit of blood. He wrinkled his nose up in disgust and said, "I think it's time to get you home. I hate to be the one to admit this to you, but you smell terrible! I'm not sure how much longer I can stand it."

Stefan approached Damon and placed a hand on his shoulder. Damon saw the look of sincerity in his eyes as Stefan stated, "I can't even begin to explain how thankful I am for what you've done. Not just for today, but for everything. I really regret the things I said to you yesterday and I hope you understand that I am truly sorry. I wasn't thinking clearly and I didn't mean any of what I said."

Damon shrugged his shoulders, causing Stefan's hand to slide off, and responded, "It's no big. Katherine's a tricky little wench and you've fallen off the deep end before, so it's not like this was my first time witnessing evil Stefan."

Almost as if responding to the sound of her name, Katherine appeared at the edge of the tomb looking just slightly better than road kill. She had removed the stakes from her body, but blood was still trickling from her wounds. She screamed out, "If I ever get the hell out of here, you will be the first person I come for, Damon!"

Damon cowered overdramatically before replying, "I'm terrified, what will I ever do?" He lifted his index finger in the air, exaggerated a gasp and said, "Oh wait, I know!"

He walked over and heaved the stone door to its original position, silencing Katherine's screams and shutting her inside. He wiped the back of his hand over his forehead and announced, "Much better."

He looked back towards Stefan and noticed a troubled expression on his brother's face. "Oh no, you had better not feel pity on her. She spent two months manipulating you and pretty much succeeded."

Stefan replied, "You're right, I spent two months with her, Damon, and despite what we both thought, she's not completely lost."

Damon was in no mood for his brother's do-gooder ways to return. Instead he shook his head and said, "I'm not fighting with you about this right now. She's staying in the tomb and there's nothing you can say to change my mind. Now let's get you home."

He bent down to lift Bonnie, who had started to gain consciousness, and headed in the direction of the car. They walked a few steps before Stefan broke the silence. "There's someplace I need to go first."

Damon knew exactly where Stefan was intending to go and the thought made him feel like ripping his brother's heart out. Instead he held his composure and replied, "Do you really think that's the best option after yesterday? You smell like a rotting corpse and she might not be ready to talk to you."

Stefan sighed in agreement and answered, "I know, but I just have to see her. I need to explain." With that he bolted into the forest leaving Damon with a slightly unconscious witch and his mind's overactive thoughts.

* * *

Elena sat at the dining room table eating dinner with Alaric and Jenna. Jeremy was at the library, which left her alone with the lovebirds. She took another bite of her carrot as she simultaneously watched Alaric spoon-feed another heap of mashed potatoes into Jenna's mouth.

She was incredibly happy for them. Alaric has practically taken residence in the home and spent most nights there. The comfort of once again having a father figure around was something Elena had really come to cherish. Also, it had been a long time since Elena had seen her aunt this satisfied in a relationship, and she hoped Alaric would continue to be the person Jenna needed him to be.

Elena lifted herself from the kitchen chair catching her aunt's attention. Jenna asked, "Finished already?"

Elena didn't want to make them feel uncomfortable so she replied, "I'm just going to finish the rest of this upstairs."

Alaric stood and walked to the fridge to refill his glass of water, while Jenna took advantage of his momentary absence and mouthed, "Thank you" to Elena.

In return she smiled and mouthed, "You're welcome," before ascending the stairs to her bedroom. She pushed the door slowly open and stopped dead in her tracks. The last person she had ever expected to see was sitting on the edge of her bed.

Elena couldn't believe it. She was in complete shock. Just yesterday he was still trapped in the tomb and yet, here he was. Overwhelmed with astonishment, she forced out in barely a whisper, "How?"

Stefan continued to stare at her. His expression was full of sorrow as he answered, "Damon. Well, Bonnie helped too."

Elena found this incredibly hard to believe. She knew perfectly well that Bonnie and Damon hated each other and there was no way either one had thrown their armor down long enough to work together. But she had solid proof sitting in front of her that they had.

"Where's Katherine?" she asked.

Stefan let out a sigh and said, "She's still in the tomb. I don't think she'll be getting out for a very long time."

Elena hesitantly took a few steps forward, set her half eaten plate of food on her dresser and questioned, "What are you doing here, Stefan?"

He lifted himself from the edge of her bed and walked three steps to close the gap between them. He took her hands in his as he responded, "I'm so sorry, Elena. I know I hurt you yesterday and I don't even know how to begin to make it up to you."

Elena stared at him with confusion in her eyes. She knew this was the Stefan that she had fell in love with and not the dark Stefan she had spoken to yesterday, but the normal comfort she typically felt when he was around had yet to overwhelm her.

Stefan dropped her hands and wrapped them around her upper body. He pulled her in and squeezed her as though she was his life raft. Elena knew he wanted to fix everything, but she wasn't sure he was capable. So much had changed in just two months and she didn't know if she could reverse back to the way things were, especially after last night's events and the realization they brought her this morning.

She pulled away, looked up to meet his jade green eyes and frowned before saying, "I'm sorry too, Stefan, but I can't pretend like everything didn't happen. You changed, I changed, even the situations changed. You can't just show up in my bedroom, tell me you're sorry, and expect everything to be ok."

Stefan refused to accept that response and asked, "What can I do to show you that I'm not that person you witnessed at the tomb yesterday? You know that wasn't me, Elena. It was so excruciatingly painful to be in there and I let my instincts get the best of me. When you didn't visit, I thought I had lost you forever. And the way I acted yesterday..," Stefan shook his head in disgust. "Please tell me it isn't true."

Elena took a seat on her bed and motioned for him to sit next to her. She didn't want to hurt Stefan, but she needed to let him know that she had moved on. "My feelings aren't exactly where they were when you first entered the tomb."

Stefan took a seat next to her before lowering his head into his hands. She could tell he didn't like the direction their conversation was moving, but she pressed on. "Being alone without you has given me time to think. I love you, Stefan, and I always will. You were there for me during a time when I really had no one else to open up to. You comforted and resurfaced me. And I will forever love you because of that."

"But," Stefan interrupted.

Elena continued, "But there are some unresolved feelings that you have been holding back. You still love Katherine, and as much as you try to deny it, the truth will still stand."

Stefan grabbed Elena's shoulders forcing her to look directly into his eyes and explained, "I do not love Katherine! I have never loved Katherine. I was trapped in a tomb with nothing else besides her and her twisted mind games. Of course she was going to have some effect on me."

Elena saw his panic and knew she needed to calm him down. She replied, "Stefan, it's ok. You don't have to admit it to yourself right now, but soon enough you'll realize the truth that everyone, besides you, has come to terms with."

Stefan lifted himself from the bed and asked, "Did Damon put you up to this?"

Elena shook her head in disbelief over the fact that Stefan was once again placing blame on Damon and replied, "Damon had nothing to do with that. I came to the realization on my own." She looked at him, concern burning in her eyes, and said, "I'm so sorry; Stefan, but I can't do this."

He bent down on his knees in front of her, tears beginning to form in the corners of his eyes, and pleaded, "I love you, Elena. Please know that. It's you and only you. I've had feelings for Katherine in the past, but it's nothing compared to what I feel for you."

Elena knew she was hurting Stefan, but she had to be honest with him. "Regardless, the feelings are there and they are the original reason you fell for me. I know you now love the person I truly am, but you fell in love with me originally because you were desperately attempting to recreate the love you shared with Katherine."

The flash across Stefan's face was very brief, and if Elena hadn't been looking for it she probably would have missed it. But it had been there. She had seen the second he understood the point she was making and then the second he accepted it. The expressions were all she needed as confirmation that her instincts had been correct.

Stefan had been fighting his true feelings for so long that he truly believed they didn't exist. But Elena had brought them to the surface. Well, the tomb had brought them to the surface and Elena was there to simply make sure Stefan accepted them.

"I'm sorry, Elena. I really do love you for who you are, not who I originally thought you were," whispered Stefan.

"I know that and I love you too, Stefan, but it's time for both of us to move on," said Elena.

Stefan's eyes were overflowing with tears as he nodded his head in agreement. They sat for a few silent moments before he announced, "I think it's time to finally put Mystic Falls and Katherine behind me."

Elena was confused. Stefan had just admitted he still had feelings for Katherine, but instead of dealing with them he was choosing to run away from them.

She was about to question his actions, but he continued, "I've focused so much of my afterlife around her and this place. I have tried to venture away, but it always finds a way to pull me back in. I'm ready to move on, experience new things, visit new destinations, and meet others of my kind. _I'm ready to leave._ But please know; I will never regret any of the decisions I made while falling in love with you, Elena. You are the one thing I will not regret. But from here on out, I think it's time to start fresh."

Elena smiled, but had to ask, "Where are you going?"

Stefan replied, "Lexi and I had some mutual friends in London. I think I'm going to start there. " He took her hand in his and squeezed. "You have my cell phone if you ever need me."

For a moment, Elena felt like screaming for him to stay. He had been her comfort and her rock for so long. It felt like a part of her was leaving with him and she wasn't sure if she was ready to let that part go just yet.

Stefan misread her expression and said, "Don't worry, I'm only a phone call away and you're safe here with Damon. He might not ever admit it, but he cares deeply about you, Elena. I haven't seen my brother sacrifice or feel for someone as much as he does for you. He won't let anything happen to you."

_If you only knew the half of it._ Elena hesitated before opening her mouth, but needed him to know the truth. "Stefan, there's something I need to tell you about Damon."

A smile graced Stefan's face, but it wasn't sincere enough to reach his eyes. "I already know what you're going to say, Elena. I've know it for a long time."

"You have?" Elena asked. She had no idea how he could have possibly known about her feelings towards Damon for a long time, she was just beginning to understand them herself.

"Yes. And eventually you'll figure out what's right for _you_. If that happens to be him, then I hope he makes you happy. You deserve that after everything. Just be careful. I know deep down Damon has it in him to be good, but he also has a fair amount of evil in him that still needs to be diminished."

Elena stared at the floor and replied, "I know."

Stefan placed his hand under her chin and raised it so his eyes tore into hers as he said, "But, I will be back eventually in hopes that you change your mind. I'll still be waiting for you, Elena."

A single tear trailed the edge of her jaw line, but Stefan gently wiped it away.

Elena hated the thought of Stefan waiting around for her, but she was too selfish to tell him not to. Instead she simply replied, "Thank you, Stefan, for everything."

Stefan stared into her eyes and said, "No, thank you. You've made me realize so many things about myself; and most importantly, you repaired my relationship with my brother. I will never be able to thank you enough for that. But it's time for me to go."

Elena nodded as Stefan lifted himself from her bed. He grabbed Elena's hand and lifted her into a warm embrace. She squeezed him tightly in response and said, "You have an amazing light in you, Stefan, it's one of the reasons I fell in love with you. Please don't ever lose that."

Stefan leaned down and gently placed a kiss on her lips. Elena knew it probably wasn't the smartest idea considering she still loved him and he was about to leave the country, but when their lips touched, she felt nothing more than understanding. This was purely a goodbye kiss. Stefan would forever hold a place in her heart, and possibly even her future, but for right now a larger part of that organ belonged to someone else.

Stefan pulled his lips from hers and said a final goodbye before slipping through the window.

Elena threw herself onto her bed and buried her face in her pillow. A few tears fell from the corners of her eyes, but she didn't regret a thing. She would miss Stefan, but a new path had opened for her and she was ready to take it. Tomorrow she planned on going to the boarding house to continue her conversation with Damon. Although she wasn't sure if she was ready to embrace what was happening between them, she was sure they at least needed to discuss it.

After Elena's thoughts had settled, she rested her head on her pillow and closed her eyes. Sleep was just about to settle over her when her cell phone rang.

She picked up the phone and groggily said hello before Caroline's frantic voice started in. "I think I really messed up, Elena!"

Confused she asked, "What are you talking about? Aren't you with Tyler?"

Caroline hesitated before replying, "Well, not exactly. He took off."

Elena's eyes shot open as she threw the covers off of herself and jumped out of bed. "What do you mean he took off?"

Caroline began to cry. She spoke again but this time panic was overflowing in her voice, "That's not even the worst part. Please don't kill me, but I told him about Mason."

* * *

**There you have it. Tyler's a very angry werewolf with one thing on his mind. _Damon killed his uncle._ How do you think this will play out? Will Caroline get there in time to save Damon, will Elena be able to save him, will Tyler be able to control his emotions? I guess you'll just have to wait and see. :)**

**Also, I hope you all liked the way I removed Stefan from the picture. In the show he is such a caring, gentle vampire and a lot of fanfics throw his natural characteristics aside. I wanted to remain true to the show, but ultimately still achieve my goal of successfully pairing up Damon and Elena.**

**Until next time...**


	11. Chapter 11

**Well here it is guys. Sorry to keep you waiting so long! This is the last chapter that contains no Damon and Elena scenes. Every chapter I have written from here on out so far is full of interaction between the two, so just be patient through one more chapter and I promise to make you happy. :)**

**Hope you like it.**

* * *

Damon was just pouring himself a drink when his cell phone rang. Earlier he had been successful in his attempt at a thank you towards Bonnie. She had regained full consciousness and accepted his thank you before leaving the boarding house. He decided to hold off on his interrogation concerning her new friend figuring she had dealt with enough for the day.

Surprisingly the two had made a good team and Damon couldn't help but think maybe Elena had been right about him. Maybe he _had_ changed. He had certainly changed enough to cooperate with Bonnie, and that was saying a lot.

His cell phone rang a second time before Damon glanced at its direction. An unfamiliar number was flashing on the screen. Intrigued by who could possibly be on the other end of the line, Damon picked up.

Stefan's voice greeted him.

Damon was concerned. He knew Stefan's cell phone was sitting dead on his brother's night stand. Obviously whatever Stefan had to say was of extreme importance since he had taken the effort to compel someone to use their phone. He asked, "Where are you?"

"I'm at a gas station on Route 40 just outside of Mystic Falls," answered Stefan.

"Might I ask what you're doing all of the way out there?" Damon questioned.

Stefan hesitated a few seconds before responding, "I'm leaving, Damon."

At this moment, Damon's phone beeped alerting him that someone else was trying to call. He took a quick glance at the number and saw that it was Elena. He desperately wanted to switch over and pick up her call, but instead ignored it with a press of the button and made a mental note to call her back.

Damon focused his attention back on his conversation with Stefan and asked, "Without a shower? That's probably not the best idea. You'll have a hard time making friends that way."

Stefan made no response causing Damon to become fully aware that his brother was serious. He asked, "Why?"

"My time in Mystic Falls is done. I've dealt with everything I was supposed to here and I am ready to move on," answered Stefan.

Damon couldn't believe what he was hearing. There was absolutely no way Stefan would leave this town. It had become his home. He assumed the conversation his brother had shared with Elena more than likely did not go well and his inside swelled with hope, but the swelling diminished once the realization that his brother was leaving hit him.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Stefan? You know I'm still here. You can't possibly tell me that you trust the state of this town with me around?" Damon teased.

To his surprise, Stefan responded, "That's actually why I'm alright with leaving. I know everyone will be safe with you around, especially Elena."

Damon knit his brows and questioned, "Are you sure about that? And besides, how am I supposed to continue to dish you out a lifetime of misery if you aren't here?" He laughed before suggestively teasing, "Maybe I should come with you."

Stefan returned his laugh and said, "I'm sure there will be plenty more opportunities for you to ruin my life later. Forever is a terribly long time. And I know you can't leave now, Damon. Somehow you have managed to create relationships with the citizens of this town."

Damon nodded although he knew perfectly well Stefan could not see it. The irony that he was the one staying in Mystic Falls while his brother went gallivanting off to enjoy his afterlife was enough to make him laugh. They had managed to switch lives completely in the past year and a half. The life Damon always assumed he would live forever had been so easy to dispose of, and he now understood Stefan's dedication to protecting those he loved. He was actually happy for his brother and excited about his new possibilities.

"I'm not going to say that I'll miss you, baby bro, because we know that's a lie, but I can say that I'll try not to destroy this place in your absence," joked Damon.

Stefan let out another laugh and responded, "I have faith in you."

Damon said, "Well that's one of us."

Stefan changed the subject and announced, "I need you to tell Elena that I don't have my cell phone. I told her that she could call me, but I won't have a new one for a couple of days. I'll make sure to keep the same number in case anyone needs me."

Damon had no intention of bringing Stefan into any of his near future conversations with Elena, but he lied and responded, "Will do. Take care brother and don't get into too much trouble while you're gone."

"See you later," Stefan responded.

Damon was about to end the call when Stefan added, "And Damon, if I find out that you have hurt Elena in any way, I will come back for you."

A smile spread across Damon's lips as he replied, "Yeah, yeah. Stop worrying and start having fun. You desperately need it." With that he disconnected the line.

* * *

Elena wanted to strangle Caroline. What had she been thinking? When Elena told her that it was going to be hard keeping secrets from Tyler, she had no idea her friend would spin it the way she had.

"Why the hell would you tell him about Mason?" Elena screamed.

Caroline continued to weep uncontrollably as she responded, "I'm sorry, Elena, but I thought he would handle it better than he did."

Elena let out a frustrated snort and said sarcastically, "First off, you tell Tyler that Damon and Stefan are vampires and then you tell him that Damon successfully murdered his uncle. I have absolutely no idea why he would be upset about that, Caroline. What were you thinking?"

"I know, I know. I made a stupid mistake, but he was acting so genuine and we had been open about everything else so I figured he would understand and be happy that I was honest with him," confessed Caroline.

Elena understood where Caroline was coming from, but she was still fuming about how thoughtless her friend had been. "But don't you think it was a little stupid to be honest with him on the night of a full moon? You could have told him tomorrow! Why did you have to do it tonight?"

Caroline was getting defensive. "You know I don't always think before I do things, Elena! He handled it perfectly when I told him that Stefan and Damon were vampires too. I was so happy to be able to open up to him that the rest just kind of spilled out."

"Well obviously he didn't handle your second confession as well as the first," Elena stated.

Caroline hesitated before saying, "Not really. His face got all angry and his eyes turned that yellow color. He wasn't supposed to change for another couple of hours, but I guess the rage made him transition ahead of schedule. We hadn't finished setting everything up yet and he wasn't restrained…"

"Did he bite you?" Elena asked with genuine concern.

"No. I can't believe it, but he bolted right past me and out through the door," responded Caroline.

Relief washed over Elena, only to be immediately replaced by fear. She shouted, "You need to get over to the boarding house! He's going after Damon!"

Caroline said in shock, "Oh my god, you're right! I can't believe that didn't register in my mind before. I'm such a bad vampire! You'd think with all of this extra ability to sift through my thoughts faster I would have realized that. Damnit!"

Elena couldn't believe her friend was rambling. Tyler was angry and she was pretty sure he had every intention of killing Damon. They had already lost one vampire to a werewolf bite, but the difference between this one and the last was that she wasn't able to lose this one. This vampire meant too much to her.

Elena's heart was beating franticly in her chest as she interrupted Caroline's rambling and shouted, "Just get over there as fast as you can. If Tyler has any control in his wolf state, you will be the only one that can calm him down."

Caroline responded with an, "Ok," before she disconnected.

Elena rapidly dialed Damon's number, but received no answer. The extra beep at the end of each ring signified that he was currently on the other line. Elena let out a sigh of relief knowing that he was still alive, but the fear of the situation was still there.

Elena descended the stairs two at a time and barged into the living room. Alaric was practically on top of Jenna in a lover's embrace, which would typically have made Elena uncomfortable, but considering the circumstances she felt no remorse towards interrupting their affairs.

She shouted, "Alaric, I really need your help!"

He shot up and peered at her from overtop of the back of the couch. Elena could tell he was embarrassed about being caught in such a romantic act, but they had no time to waste. Instead of apologizing for her interruption she said, "Damon's in trouble and he needs your help at the boarding house."

Understanding swept over Alaric's face before he lifted himself from the couch. He apologized to Jenna and ran into the kitchen to gather his things.

Jenna lifted herself to glare annoying at Elena from overtop of the couch and said, "This had better be good. What's the problem?"

Elena sifted through her brain for a reasonable excuse but could only muster up one. "Someone broke into Damon and Stefan's house." Immediately after saying the excuse she knew it was a bad one, but it was all she could come up with on the spot.

Jenna was no fool. She asked, "So why didn't Damon call Liz? She _is_ the sheriff and isn't that her responsibility? I don't really understand why Ric needs to get involved."

Elena nonchalantly walked over to the couch and replied, "You know Alaric and Damon are friends now. Ric's been spending a lot of time at the boarding house and evidently the burglar took some things the two of them have been working on."

Jenna appeared to believe the lie. She rolled her eyes and said, "Boys and their stupid toys. Now I'm going to have to deal with him being pissed off. Do you want me to come with you guys?"

Elena spat out, "Nah, just stay here. You don't want to have to deal with him when he realizes all of the work they lost."

Jenna rolled her eyes a second time and said, "So true."

Alaric reappeared from the kitchen with his duffel bag in hand. He looked at Elena and asked, "Ready to go?"

She nodded a yes before they said goodbye to Jenna and hurried out the front door.

* * *

Damon sat perfectly still on the couch in the parlor, only breaking his silhouette to raise the glass of bourbon to his mouth. He stared, deep in thought, at the roaring fireplace in front of him. Once again, his day had been jammed packed with events.

He had awoken this morning with full belief that Elena had regretted her actions the night before. Since rescuing Stefan from the tomb, his hopes flourished with the idea that he had been wrong. Stefan had left town, which led him to believe that Elena had not taken his brother back. Damon knew it was silly to believe it was because she wanted to be with him, but he couldn't help but ooze optimism.

He felt like a child on Christmas morning. The anticipation that he might finally obtain the gift he had been so desperately wishing for was more than Damon could handle, but he had to be patient. If Elena really had chosen him then she would tell him herself. Until then, he had to sit and wait it out.

Damon's cell beeped signaling he had received a text. He glanced down at the phone and saw that it was a text from Elena asking him to call her. Damon brought his hand to his head in frustration. He had completely forgotten that she had called.

A boyish smile spread across Damon's lips as he took another sip of his drink and began dialing her number, but as he did this he heard a rustle coming from just outside of the window. He slowly set his drink and phone on the mahogany table and crouched down. He stood perfectly still and listened.

He could hear a heartbeat, but it wasn't human; this heartbeat was much too fast. The only other time he could remember hearing this heartbeat had been…around Jules. Damon's instincts flared at the thought that another werewolf had found its way onto his property.

His fangs elongated and the black veins around his eyes emerged bringing his demon state to the surface. He had every intention of destroying the creature and wanted to make that perfectly clear.

Damon moved to the front door and opened it before taking a step outside. It was pitch black, but it made no difference to him; his eyesight was spectacular regardless of whether it was day or night. He searched the front yard and saw nothing, but he could still hear the heartbeat.

He was no fool and completely aware that werewolves were marvelous hunters, but he was better. He continued to listen for the direction of the heartbeat until he spotted its source. The beast was hiding just behind the edge of the surrounding forest.

Damon charged in the werewolf's direction, anger pulsing throughout every inch of him. The beast noticed it had been spotted and charged back in Damon's direction. A second before collision, Damon squatted to the ground and as the wolf leaped over him, he grabbed its back paw forcing it to smash into the frozen earth.

The wolf yelped, but otherwise appeared unaffected. A mere second passed before the wolf had managed to get back on all fours. It let out a deafening growl, which Damon mimicked. The wolf leapt through the air again at Damon's torso, but only managed to make contact with his fist. Damon had simply swatted it away like a fly.

_This is way too easy_, Damon thought to himself. At least Jules put up some sort of fight.

But the wolf was not satisfied. It regained its composure and attacked for a third time, but instead of attacking directly it jumped to the right. Damon had the wolf clearly in his vision, but he wasn't expecting the wolf to switch directions a second time and as it jumped to the left. The simple action caught Damon off guard.

Damon tried to step to the side and out of the line of impact, but he was just a second too slow. The wolf's claws slashed through Damon's side before sinking into his stomach. Damon tried to rip the claws from his flesh, but the pain was overwhelming and lowered his strength. Before Damon had time for a second attempt, the wolf sank its fangs into his upper right arm and locked its jaw firmly in place.

Damon brought his left hand down on the wolf's jaw smashing the bone into tiny bits and causing its hold on his arm to loosen. The second it did, Damon whirled himself around and threw his body into the wolf. The impact caused the beast to fall to the ground. Damon stood hovering over the damaged beast ready to remove every limb from its body before he collapsed to the ground. He tried to lift himself up, but his wounds had not yet healed and he was completely drained of energy and strength.

Taking advantage of his momentary state, the wolf picked itself off of the ground and tore into the forest. Damon rolled onto his side and winced at the pain. Once he had regained enough strength, he sat up from the ground. He checked over the slash marks along his side and stomach before continuing his gaze to his arm. He then took a solid look at the wolf bite with defeat and thought, _shit_.

* * *

**Oh snap! Bet you didn't see that one coming did you? Sorry, but I couldn't resist. Damon is just way too impulsive and territorial, so of course he had to attack Tyler.**

**I realized after posting this chapter that I should have left the break with this one, but oh well. Too late now. I will try and post again soon.**

**P.S. Comments make me super happy!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry for the delay guys, but it's been crazy and I really haven't had much time to write or post. Hopefully things will wind down soon giving me more time to focus on the story, but until then it is going to be a couple of days in between posts. Sorry. :(**

**Firstly, I changed the rating of this story to M. I noticed that certain scenes and a lot of the language was not appropriate for a teen rating. So I had to change that.**

**Secondly, some of you that left comments already know this but for those of you that don't, Damon's fate will not be decided for at least 2 more chapters. I started writing Chapter 14 the other night, but I'm not sure if I will even get to his outcome in that chapter. I _do_ know for a fact that by Chapter 15 you will know whether Damon lives or dies.**

**Thirdly, this chapter got a little out of hand and it's longer than my normal posts. All of the characters, especially Damon, had a lot to say and they wouldn't be quiet.**

_**And that's it for my little side notes. Enjoy the chapter!**_

* * *

Elena and Alaric burst through the door into the first floor of the boarding house only to find Damon's hand clenched firmly around Caroline's neck. He had her lifted into the air and pressed harshly against the wall. Neither vampire seemed to have noticed the pair's entrance.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. Please stop hurting me," Caroline pleaded.

"I'm so glad to hear your apology, Caroline, but that doesn't mean shit to me now. You killed me!" Damon spat menacingly.

"Just put her down, Damon." Alaric let out in an exhausted plea.

Caroline tried to turn her face in Alaric's direction, but was no match for Damon's intense grip.

Damon never took his face off Caroline's, but it was easy to see the eye roll as he said; "Now why would I do that? So she can run back to her wolfie boyfriend and feed him more information about me? That sounds like a great idea, Ric! Go ahead, Caroline, maybe this time he'll manage to kill me in one easy swoop. Then I won't have to deal with the agonizing pain that I am going to be experience in about…" he paused to take a look at his watch, "5 hours."

Elena asked, "What pain?"

The sound of her voice seemed to immediately calm Damon down. He turned to her as his ominous demon face disappeared into one full of regret.

Elena walked the steps to close the distance between the two and with tormented eyes she asked again, "What pain, Damon?"

Silence filled the room before Caroline finally confessed, "Tyler bit him."

Damon returned his stare to Caroline and ferociously shook her until she whimpered under the pain. He shouted, "That's right! The fucking werewolf bit me because miss prissy pants couldn't keep her fucking mouth shut!"

Caroline closed her eyes and cried, "I said I'm sorry, Damon. I didn't know he'd come after you, I wasn't thinking. Please let me go."

The surrounding actions of the others seemed to fade from Elena's view. Her worst fears had been confirmed. Damon was going to die the same way Rose had. One vampire had already walked out of her life today and she couldn't imagine losing the second. This one had somehow managed to crawl his way into the center of her heart and the thought of losing him was more than she could handle.

Alaric accidentally slammed into Elena, bringing her back to the present, as he tried to maneuver past her to get to Damon. He grabbed Damon's wrist and shouted, "Just let her go! This isn't helping anything."

Damon's fangs protruded past his upper lip as he let out a horrifying snarl centimeters from Alaric's face. Elena was terrified by both the menacing vampire in front of her and for his life, but she had to take action.

She pushed Alaric aside before grabbing Damon's face and twisting it to look directly at hers. She stared at him with pure determination as she said, "Let her go, Damon. We'll figure this out. We still have time." Her facial expression softened as she pleaded, "But please, just let her go."

Damon's fangs retreated back into his mouth as he let out a sigh and released Caroline. She thumped to the ground and rubbed the edges of her neck. Damon jabbed his index finger at her and demanded, "You find your boyfriend so I can kill him while I still have the time."

Caroline shook her head back and forth as panicked sobs escaped her.

"That's not going to change anything," Elena said soothingly. She had successfully managed to calm Damon down once, but it was going to be one hell of a task keeping him that way.

Damon shot her an intimidating look and said, "He killed me, Elena. It's only fair that I get to return the favor."

She lifted her hand to graze the side of his face and replied, "That's not important right now. We need to focus on finding you a cure. Killing Tyler is not going to save you. Saving you is the only thing that I care about, and right now it should be the only thing you care about."

She turned to face Alaric and ordered, "Call Jeremy. We need everyone we can get on this. I'll call Bonnie." She turned to face Caroline and continued, "You're staying here. The last thing we need is for Tyler to attack you too. I'm not losing anyone else today."

* * *

Damon stood gazing at the roaring fire in front of him, complete with a glass of scotch in hand. He took a sip and allowed its alcoholic contents to soothe his vicious temper. The others were furiously scuttling about behind him searching through various books and making phone calls. He knew he should have been helping them, but it was pointless. He was going to die. He debated calling his brother before remembering that Stefan didn't have his cell phone. He wondered how long it would be before his brother knew he was dead.

Damon knew this was fate's way of torturing him for everything he had done in the past. He had done some terrible things in his lifetime and had only recently started to regret them. Evidently his change in lifestyle had come just a bit too late; he wasn't meant to be a hero. He was always meant to be the villain, and villains perished in the end of every story.

A violent part of him wanted to tear Tyler apart for what he had done. He knew it wouldn't solve anything but it sure as hell would make him feel better. He turned to sneak a quick glance at the only thing keeping him from tearing off into the night after that fucking werewolf. Elena was intently running her finger along lines of text in one of Alaric's ancient books. Her chestnut brown hair fell perfectly over her shoulder and he couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. The dark shade under her eyes reflected the small amount of sleep she had gotten the night before and Damon clenched on the inside remembering their interaction.

She had willingly offered herself to him and he refused her. It was a once in a lifetime chance and he had simply pushed her away yet again. Now, he would never have the opportunity to make it right. Damon lifted the glass to his lips and took another swig. _Here's to missed opportunities._

The front door opened and Damon turned to see who else had decided to take part in their Scooby Doo investigation. Bonnie and someone Damon had never seen before entered the boarding house. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously and walked over to them.

Instead of asking Bonnie how she was coping after their afternoon rescue, he ignored her to look at her friend and spat, "Who are you?"

The guy appeared a little taken aback, obviously Bonnie had not informed her friend of Damon and his polite conversation skills. He offered his hand out for Damon to shake and announced, "I'm Luka. It's nice to meet you."

Damon looked at Luka's hand like it was drenched in vervain and said, "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure. Might I ask what you're doing here?"

Bonnie stepped forward to situate herself in between the two men and stated, "I brought him. He knows a lot and we need all of the help we can get right now. Plus, he has hundreds of old books that we can look through."

Understanding hit Damon smack in the face as he accused, "You're the witchy friend whose been helping Bonnie."

Luka's eye shot open and Damon couldn't help but notice the guy was sweating like a pig. A smile graced his lips as he thought to himself, _even dying__… I've still got it._

Elena's hand gripped the side of Damon's shoulder as she interjected, "It doesn't matter right now, Damon. Bonnie's right. The more help we have, the better."

Damon rolled his eyes and said, "Oh alright." He lowered his face to Elena's and whispered sarcastically in her ear, "You really have a way of spoiling all of my fun."

Elena pushed him away, threw a book into his arms and replied, "You are not allowed to be having fun right now. Get to work."

Damon sped to the couch and threw himself on it before lifting his feet and plopping them onto the coffee table. He laughed and said, "I love it when you take control."

Elena rolled her eyes before taking a seat next to him. She leaned over and suggested, "Maybe we should call Stefan. I know he was ready to move on, but I'm sure he'd want to know what's happening."

Damon made a clicking noise with his tongue and nonchalantly replied, "Would if I could. Our dear Stefan left without his cell phone so we won't be able to contact him until he gets a new one in a few days. By that time I'll be long gone and there won't be any need for him to come back."

Caroline flashed in front of the couch and questioned, "Stefan's gone? Wait, he's out of the tomb?"

Damon rolled his eyes and answered, "Yes, he's gone. And yes, he's out of the tomb."

Caroline waited a few seconds before saying impatiently, "Well, aren't you going to tell us all how he got out and why he left?"

Damon was bored and he didn't particularly want to talk to Caroline after the crap she pulled earlier. He took a sip of his drink and replied, "Nope. Bonnie was there, so she can fill you in if you're _dying_ to know."

Caroline let out a frustrated breath of air and muttered, "Sometimes you can be such a dick!"

Damon teased, "And don't you forget it."

Twenty silent minutes passed before Alaric's phone rang. He announced that it was Jeremy before answering.

"Anything new?" Alaric asked.

Damon knew perfectly well that no one else could hear the other side of the conversation, but he listened intently.

"I've found a section that seems to have what we're looking for, but I haven't found a fix yet. There are just too many books and each seems to have some reference to wolf bites, but I haven't found a solution."

Alaric responded, "We've had no luck here so far, so we'll come to you. See you soon."

He looked up to meet everyone's anxious eyes and said, "Jeremy's found a ton of books at the library that might be helpful. We're having no luck here, so I figured we'd try over there."

Caroline quickly stood up and said with pure excitement, "This is so Buffy the Vampire Slayer!"

Everyone stared at her with blank expressions. Caroline rolled her eyes and explained, "The group of us are going to do research at the school library, just like Buffy and her gang did pretty much every episode. God, don't any of you watch TV? Anyways, I totally call playing Buffy!"

Damon rolled his eyes before focusing them on Elena and sarcastically whispered, "Glad to see she's still upset over killing me."

Caroline whipped her head in Damon's direction and snapped, "Shut up, Damon. You know I still feel bad, but just because you're dying doesn't mean we don't get to have fun saving you. You should be happy we're all helping you. And besides, I never cracked a book for school, so this is a pretty big deal!"

Instead of giggling at their back and forth, Elena stared at Damon with saddened eyes. She raised her hand to his face and whispered, "We're not going to let you die. We'll figure this out."

Caroline crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently as Alaric stood up from the floor and announced, "Alright, let's get going. We don't have much time."

"Roughly four hours." Damon chimed.

Elena looked around at the pile of books left to be opened on the floor and said, "I'm going to stay here in case there's something in one of these we haven't read yet."

Damon smiled and announced, "I'm staying too. If I only have four hours to live, I want to make sure those four hours are spent with a drink in my hand."

Bonnie shot Damon an angry glance and spat, "We're all doing this for you, Damon. Some of us are even helping against our better judgment. So the least you could do is help out!"

Damon huffed and rolled his eyes before saying, "Of course I'm going to help out. This is _my_ life were talking about. I just want to make sure I can have a drink right where it's supposed to be the entire time." He held up his drink and shot her a million dollar smile before taking another sip.

Bonnie let out an aggravated snort and Alaric took the opportunity to rally the troops. "Alright guys, enough. Let's get out of here."

The group gathered their things and headed out the front door. The last thing Damon heard before the car door shut was Caroline's voice asking, "You guys think I'm hotter than Buffy right?"

Damon sighed as his group of saviors drove away. _Yeah, I'm going to die._

_

* * *

_

Elena was frantically searching through every book she could. Damon on the other hand appeared to be taking his sweet old time. She couldn't understand why he wasn't concerned for his own life. She knew his life had been much longer than any human's, but no one was ever ready to die, no matter how long they had lived.

Realizing she couldn't handle it anymore, she looked up with frustration and exclaimed, "I'm doing all of the work here, Damon!"

To her surprise Damon let out a genuine laugh. She had a hard time believing anything could be funny considering the current circumstances, but there he was laughing his ass off. She had no idea why she suddenly felt the urge to hit him, but she did. It was probably the mixture of every emotion she was experiencing. God knows she had enough of them pumping through her blood stream.

Normally Damon would have grabbed her wrist to stop the impact, especially considering the last time she slapped him he told her to never do it again, but it only made him laugh harder. She couldn't believe it. Frustration boiled inside of her until she screamed, "What the fuck is wrong with you? How can you be laughing right now? Don't you understand that you're going to die?"

Damon lifted his glass to his lips and took a large swig of his drink. He lowered the glass onto the coffee table before responding. "There is no point in freaking out, Elena. We're going to fail. No matter how many books your pretty little eyes search through, the end result will still be the same. In a little under four hours I will be a corpse rotting on this very expensive Victorian rug."

Elena couldn't help but notice the matter-of-fact way Damon spoke about his own death. An overwhelming sense of pain engulfed her insides. She knew he was right, but she didn't want to believe it. She had to have faith that somehow this situation would work itself out. She was going to save Damon. She had to.

Although her thoughts fought to remain positive, her tear ducts gave her away. Tears trickled from the edges of Elena's eyes and down her flushed cheeks. Before she could help it, she was full blown hysterical.

To her surprise, Damon pulled her into him and ran a hand through her hair. "I'm sorry, Elena. I know you want me to be optimistic about the situation, but I can't. I'm only going to be myself for about another hour before I start to fall apart and I just want to enjoy it. So why won't anyone let me?"

Elena tucked her head to rest firmly against Damon's chest and whispered, "I can't lose you too, Damon. I can't bear it."

Damon stroked her head and with oozing sarcasm said, "Don't worry. You'll be safe with Vampire Barbie."

Elena laughed and replied, "Stop joking around. You know what I meant, Damon. I care about you."

He stated, "You need to snap out of this. You and your sick connection to vampires is a getting a little weird. Caroline's obvious. She was your friend first, so of course you care about her. Stefan's practically a human with a few supernatural abilities, so it makes sense that you care about him too. But me, caring about me is just plain stupid."

Elena released a weak laugh before she lifted herself off of Damon and said, "You have always underestimated yourself. Just think of everything you have done since coming to this town. Despite what you think, your life means a lot to everyone." She paused and took a deep breath as another tear slid down her face and said, "It means everything to me."

Damon stared back into her concerned eyes and admitted, "But it shouldn't."

Elena lifted herself from the couch and took a seat on the coffee table. They only had a little while left and she needed Damon to understand the situation. If he was going to die, she at least needed him to die knowing how she truly felt about him.

She looked down at the floor and started, "Damon, I woke up this morning completely humiliated about my actions last night."

Damon flew his arm around in the air and interrupted, "I know, you were drunk. Everyone gets a little excited with alcohol. We all make mistakes."

Elena grabbed his hand from the air and held onto it as she continued, "That's not what I was going to say. I was humiliated because of the way I came onto you. I wasn't exactly prim and proper about it and I would have liked to execute things a little differently."

Confusion spread over Damon's faced as he asked, "What do you mean by differently?"

Elena sighed and looked straight into his crystal blue eyes and announced, "We're not just friends anymore, Damon."

Damon rolled his eyes as a smirk slashed across his face. "C'mon Elena, we've never been just friends."

Elena mimicked his eye roll and said, "Be serious for just a second, please. What I started to tell you this morning was that I'm specifically sorry for my actions last night. The only thing I regret is how I drunkenly threw myself at you, but I don't need alcohol to know how I feel about you."

Damon's eyes lit up and he was practically glowing. He appeared to be hanging on every word she said and Elena only hoped this was a positive sign signifying how he was going to respond to what she was about to admit.

"I'm falling in love with you, Damon. I have been for a long time, but I never wanted to accept it. I always pushed my feelings aside because of previous situations. You've done some crappy things in the past that have made me question our friendship and so the idea that I could possibly have cared for you in a different way seemed preposterous to me."

Elena shook her head and continued, "Plus, I loved Stefan and the feelings I started experiencing for you just confused me. I never thought it was possible to care for two people as deeply as I did the two of you. But then Katherine and the tomb happened. I wasn't able to hide behind my love for Stefan anymore and you abandoned me. And like I admitted the other night, that separation helped me put things into perspective. Everything that was previously fuzzy is perfectly clear to me now."

"I always thought of you as the complete opposite of me, but time has made me realize I was wrong. You are more like me than I ever thought possible. You're stubborn and you hide yourself from the world, but you've let me see because you trust me and in return you have my complete trust. Now, please just be honest with me. No walls. No bullshit. Just us." She inched forward off of the coffee table and asked, "How do you feel about me?"

Damon lifted his hand to gently cup her face and said, "I have to admit something to you. Do you remember the night after you met Elijah? The night your vervain necklace was mysteriously returned to you…"

* * *

**I've noticed that I'd much rather write sarcastic Damon all of the time! He's so much more fun that way, but I guess there wouldn't be much of a story if his wall was always up. So, to move the story along, there will be tons of lovey-dovey Damon in the next chapter to ease your romantic hearts. But, I have to warn you... another side of him will also show up. ;)**

_**Love your comments, keep 'em coming!**_


	13. Chapter 13

**Well guys, I'm pretty sure this is the chapter that most of you have been waiting for. It got extremely out of hand and as a result it's much, much longer than my normal posts. I am very proud of this particular chapter and I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

_**Also, there is a part in this chapter that includes a "change of POV" line, but it only signifies the passing of time. It's Elena's POV before and after the line. I tried to enter other forms of a line, but the document editor kept removing it. So I just wanted to give you a heads up before you come to it.**_

* * *

Damon had no idea why he was so nervous to admit how he felt about Elena. She had just poured her heart out to him and spoke the words he had so desperately desired to hear. She didn't exactly love him, but she was _falling in love_ with him.

For a minute everything else disappeared and his current death situation didn't matter. Elena felt exactly the same way about him as he did her. She had been honest with him and now it was time for him to return the favor. He had to confess what he erased from her memory because now it no longer meant he was being selfish by telling her, _this_ was what she wanted.

Damon knew what he was about to say was going to change everything, but there was no going back now. He only had a few more hours until it made no difference anyway.

He lifted his hand to gently cup Elena's face and said, "I have to admit something to you. Do you remember the night after you met Elijah? The night your vervain necklace was mysteriously returned to you…"

Elena was caught in suspension. Damon was so close to telling her exactly how he felt and she held her breath in anticipation. She nodded her head letting him know she remembered the night, although it was a lie. She really couldn't remember much of the night. All she knew was that somehow her necklace reappeared around her neck, but she had no idea how. The thought once bothered her, but after a few nights of restless sleep, she let the thought go. Obviously someone had returned it, but _the someone_ didn't matter; what mattered was that she had it back.

Damon admitted, "I was the one who returned it to you."

Elena's eyes shot open and confusion replaced her previously anxious expression as she asked, "What?"

But Damon didn't have time to answer. His cell phone rang before he had the chance to explain. He looked down and saw Alaric flashing from the front. He picked up the phone and waved it back and forth in front of Elena.

She let out a quick gasp and said, "Answer it. Maybe they found something!"

Damon let out a relieved laugh. He answered the phone and clicked the speaker button before turning the phone horizontal between Elena and himself. "I really had my doubts about you guys, but it appears I was wrong. What did you find?"

Alaric hesitated a moment before admitting, "We haven't found a solution yet."

"Then why are you calling me?" Damon spat.

"I wanted to let you know that Jeremy found something. He read that each vampire reacts differently to a wolf bite." Alaric responded.

Damon narrowed his eyes and asked, "So I might not die?"

"Not exactly," answered Alaric. "The end result is still the same. But the effects of the poison are different for each case. There have been reports of intense pains, intense cravings, intense rage… you get the point."

Elena grabbed the phone from Damon's hand and asked, "So what exactly are you telling us, Ric?"

Alaric stated, "I'm just telling you to be careful. You have no idea how Damon is going to respond to the poison in his system."

Damon spoke loudly ensuring the distant phone picked up his voice. "Warning noted. Call us when you find a solution." He then took the phone from Elena's hand and disconnected.

* * *

Elena appeared uncomfortable sitting on the coffee table; her anxious stance from before had vanished. She had her arms tightly wrapped around her stomach almost like she was physically holding herself together and Damon couldn't help but notice Elena's presence was no longer in the same room as him.

He shot her a prying glance and asked, "What's wrong?"

Elena sighed and replied, "Nothing. Everything is just so up in the air now. Before we at least had a time frame for your death since we'd already been down this road with Rose, but now it could come sooner than we thought. And what if you have a different reaction?" She let out a breath of air and brought her eyes to meet Damon's as she announced, "I'm just, not ready."

Damon rubbed her arm, figuring it was the right time to return to their previous topic, he questioned, "Do you still want to know why you don't remember me giving you your necklace back?"

This seemed to lighten Elena up a bit. She unwrapped her arms and gripped the edge of the table. "Yes. As long as it leads to an honest answer regarding how you feel about me."

Damon's lips curled up into a smile. All previous fear vanished as he gazed into her chocolate eyes. "I thought I was doing what was right for you."

Elena spat out, "Again? Really? This has got to stop, Damon!"

Damon lifted a finger and pressed it over her lips to silence her. He laughed at her childish behavior and said, "This was before you freaked out on me, remember?"

Elena made a mock-angry face but otherwise remained silent, so he removed his finger. "Before I came to visit you, Stefan said some things to me that really got me thinking. After he said them, I understood how important it was for someone to simply say something. You know, get it off of their chest."

Elena looked confused, so he continued to explain. "I had found your necklace on the floor before we left the abandoned house and knew you'd need it back, so I brought it over. It was the perfect opportunity to tell you what had been on my mind, but I knew it wasn't fair for you to hear it. That doesn't mean I didn't waver back and forth. I wanted you to hear it, I really did. But when you came out of the bathroom you smelled like fresh citrus and your hair hung so gracefully over your shoulder bones tracing the perfect structure of your chin and I knew you couldn't. You looked so breathtaking and it overwhelmed me. I knew I couldn't admit everything and have it weighing you down. It wouldn't have been fair."

"What exactly are you getting at, Damon?" Elena asked, obvious frustration radiating from her expression.

"I erased your memory that night, Elena, because I told you that I loved you. Not because you resemble Katherine or because you were my brother's girlfriend, but because you are the single most beautiful, amazing creature I have ever met. And I only say creature because I have met many other things besides humans throughout my life and you have managed to outshine them all. Just saying that you were the most amazing human I had ever met would have been a severe understatement. "

Damon knew he was rambling, but the words kept seeping out. Elena tried to speak but he focused in on the point he was trying to make and continued, "And it killed me to erase that from your memory, but I had to. It was too selfish for me to unload that on you right after we almost lost you. Plus, although you weren't exactly involved with Stefan at that moment, you loved him. So, I thought it was the right thing to do. It wasn't right to force you to deal with the way I felt about you, because I knew you would have never picked me."

Damon paused as he slowly edged his back from the couch towards Elena. Her eyes never strayed from his as he admitted, "I have never felt like I deserved you, Elena. Me… of all people for you to choose. Why would you have ever chosen me? Stefan was perfect for you. I have done so many terrible things in my past and fate is forcing me to come to terms with that now. As much as I have wanted it to happen, you were never meant to be with me…" He trailed off as his gaze landed on the floor.

Elena brought her hand underneath of Damon's chin and lifted his gaze to meet hers. Compassion shined in her eyes as she said, "The fact that you erased my memory should be enough proof that I'm not too good for you. I should be pissed that you stole that moment from me, but I'm not. It only shows I meant enough to you to disregard your own feelings and desires. And despite everything that you have done for me in the past, including the times you have risked your life to save mine, this has got to take the cake. Don't you see this was the exact opposite of selfish; you acted solely on behalf of someone else. What you did was truly selfless and you did it for me. Thank you, Damon."

She then leaned in and gently brought her lips to meet his. Damon responded by moving his in perfect unison against hers. After everything, he had finally obtained his dream. Elena cared for him as much as he cared for her. It didn't matter that his life would be over shortly because he had obtained the one thing that he had sought out for a century and a half. He felt genuine love for someone and they felt it for him in return. The fact that _the someone_ was Elena only made the moment shimmer brighter. The overwhelming happiness made Damon want to burst out of his skin, but as quickly as it came it was replaced by another overwhelming sensation.

The back of his throat started to scratch. Damon pulled away from Elena's lips and coughed trying to remove the itchy sensation, but nothing happened. His throat felt like sandpaper; it's two walls rubbing against each other caused a burning feeling. Damon swallowed, but the feeling still lingered.

Elena shot him a confused expression and asked, "What's wrong?"

Damon grabbed the base of his throat and rubbed it. He shrugged so Elena wouldn't become concerned and said, "It's nothing. Now, where were we?" He brought his face to hers and continued what they originally started.

The burning sensation died down just enough for Damon to fully relish the moment. Elena was his, _completely his_ and if they only had a couple of hours he wanted to take full advantage of them all. He wrapped his hand gently around the back of her neck and pulled her closer into him. He could feel her smile against his lips and in response he did the same. He whispered, "I love you, Elena."

She kissed him passionately in response and moved her body to rest on his. He wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her against him so that every inch of their bodies touched. He pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear so he could place delicate kisses down the side of her neck.

She giggled and he had to pull away to look at her. Her face was radiating with happiness and desire; and it was too much for Damon to handle. He dove in and started another intense kiss as his tongue entered her mouth to find hers.

Everything about them was in synch and everything from their tongues to their feet were intertwined. Elena's heartbeat was accelerating and her breathing was becoming heavy. The sounds made Damon even more aroused as he roughly ran his fingers through her untidy hair.

Elena gripped her fingertips into Damon's back and if his skin hadn't been so unbreakable, there would have easily been marks. He continued to listen as her heartbeat accelerated yet again.

Damon lowered his hand and lifted it under her shirt pulling at the bottom corner. Elena understood exactly what he wanted and immediately obliged. She lifted the shirt over her head and threw it onto the Victorian rug across the room.

Damon gazed at the beautiful creature on his lap before bringing his lips to the nook of her neck. He could feel her pulse. _God it was beating so fast._ He lightly traced the tip of his tongue up to the bottom of her ear as she let out a welcoming moan.

Damon wasn't sure if it was the moan or the sound of Elena's accelerated heartbeat, but his fangs elongated and every inch of his body tingled in the desire to bite into her bloodline. He could sense it pumping inches below his mouth. He paused at her ear and traced the top of his fang back down to the main artery of her neck.

The blood was pumping too fast for him to resist. He could feel the veins streak across his face as he opened his mouth ready to break the delicate skin keeping him from what he craved the most. Just a couple of thins layers and he'd taste it. He slowly lowered his fangs to her neck as she pulled away.

Elena took one look at the terrifying sight of Damon and screamed. His fangs were ready to strike and the black veins stretching from his eyes confirmed it. Elena pushed herself from Damon's lap and fell onto the top of the coffee table.

Damon's face returned to its normal state and he was over her in a second. He cupped his hand around the back of her neck to hold up her head and explained, "I am so sorry! I have no idea what happened. I normally have no problem controlling my urges."

Fear still lingered in Elena's eyes as she continued to silently stare at him.

Shame washed over Damon's face as he stroked her hair and said, "Please, Elena, say something."

"You tried to bite me." Elena accused.

Damon lifted himself from the coffee table and offered Elena his hand. She took it and as Damon helped her up, he closed his eyes in shame. "I don't know what came over me. One minute I was completely entranced by what was happening between us and then the next, all I could think about was your blood and how amazing it would taste."

"That didn't happen last time," Elena stated.

Damon sighed and admitted, "No it didn't. I'm guessing it has something to do with the wolf venom in my system. Remember, Ric said it has different effects on different vampires."

Elena appeared to have regained her courage as she sashayed her way back onto Damon's lap. She pouted her lips before she lowered her mouth to his ear and whispered, "So I guess that means our fun is over."

Damon grabbed her wrists and whirled her body onto the couch. He was on top of her in less than a second and responded, "I'll make sure to have better control this time." He shot her his famous grin before once again bringing his lips to hers.

Her heartbeat quickly accelerated, but this time Damon had no problem pushing it to the back of his mind. The feeling of Elena's lips on his was too great of a sensation to allow something like hunger to get in the way. And as his tongue once again traced the edge of Elena's mouth, she parted her lips to welcome him in.

In moments they were once again completely intertwined; half of their clothes sprawled along the floor. Damon pulled his lips from Elena's to unbuckle his pants, when she placed her hand on his to stop him. Confusion and slight irritation consumed Damon as he shot her a questioning glance.

Elena chewed on the tip of her thumb before she explained, "We don't know when the others will be back and I don't want them barging in on us. "

Damon pulled her bare chest against his and started placing light kisses along her chin. "You seem to have forgotten I'm a vampire with very excellent senses, Elena. I hear cars pull in a quarter mile before they reach my driveway, so you have nothing to worry about."

Damon led his kisses back to Elena's moist lips as his hand extended to cup the back of her neck. Although her lower body responded exactly how he had wanted it to, her upper body pulled away as she interjected, "I'd still feel better if we could continue this in your room."

He let out impatient sigh and gave in. "Fine, but I'm carrying you up." With that said, he lifted her body and bolted upstairs.

* * *

As soon as Elena's body had touched the 700 count sheets covering Damon's bed, he had resumed his position protectively on top of her. She let out pleasuring moans as he teased the sensitive spots along her body with his tongue. She was completely in tune with what Damon was intending to do with her body and the sensation it was sending up her spine. As he continued to trace her delicate areas, she remembered the road trip they had taken so many months ago to Georgia.

That was the first and only time Elena had ever met Damon's past lover Bree. Her skin tingled in anticipation remembering how highly Bree had spoken about Damon's performance in bed, but the anticipation was joined with another feeling entirely. As she remembered the bartender a small portion of her wanted to hit the bitch. She had been perfectly nice, but the idea of Damon in bed with another woman sent a wave of possession crashing through her every limb, or was that Damon's tongue? Regardless of what created the sensation, the meaning behind it was clear; Damon was hers and _only hers_.

Elena let out an agonizing moan as Damon lips once again swept by the area she was craving him to touch the most. He looked up and shot her a pleased smirk; it was obvious he knew his teasing tactics were working flawlessly. The building surges of lust were becoming almost too much to handle and she was getting impatient. She extended her arms and reached her hands around Damon's face to pull him into another intoxicating kiss. He obliged by pushing his lips roughly against hers, and as her breathing quickly became rushed she whispered, "I'm ready."

* * *

Elena's head rested on Damon's chest as her fingertips traced the creased lines in his palm. Sweat glistened over her heated body as it pressed against his and Elena embraced the incredible cooling sensation his skin offered.

The bartender hadn't been exaggerating when she had spoken about Damon's abilities in the bedroom. Every inch of Elena's body was sensitive from what Damon had just accomplished and she laid exhausted next to him amazed by that fact that she was completely satisfied. She lifted her head from his chest and placed it on the base of her palm causing her arm to form the shape of a triangle as her elbow rested on the pillow.

Elena took this moment to take in Damon's bedroom for the first time. She had passed the slightly open door of his room many times, but had never actually walked in to really look at it. As her eyes swept around the room she noticed it was exactly how she had assumed it would be.

Unlike Stefan's bedroom, this one was decorated in a theme much more modern. Of course Damon had his essentials; a roaring fire lit in the fireplace and a liquor stand sitting next to it. But there were no knick-knacks or personal items anywhere, just the fundamental essentials. Besides a few picture pieces of general artwork, the room was pretty bare.

The walls behind the pictures were all painted light grey, while the furniture accents scattered about remained strictly black. Although the hues were opposite in appearance, the similarity of their basic color complimented the other perfectly.

Elena's eyes continued to roam taking in the sight of the room until she couldn't withhold the urge to ask, "Where are all of your personal things?"

Damon stroked her hair and replied, "I don't really have any."

"Why not?" Elena questioned.

Damon's eyes drifted around the room as he shrugged and responded, "There's never been anything important enough in my life to hold onto."

"Nothing?" Elena asked. She wasn't exactly a sentimental person, but she still had a couple of items placed throughout her room that meant enough to her to keep. The teardrop earrings her mother had given her topped the list. They were the last gift she had ever received from either one of her parents and she planned to either pass them down to a daughter of her own, or wear them to her grave. The idea that Damon had gone 146 years without creating an attachment to something caused a feeling of pity to linger in her stomach.

Damon rolled his eyes and stated, "Don't look at me like that, Elena. I've had a fantastic life. Of course, I would have loved to have met you earlier in it." He paused and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and admitted, "You know, there is one thing I regret. I was such a monster before I met you, I'm not saying it wasn't fun while it lasted, but it was empty… I was empty. Your presence in my life has had a bigger impact than you will ever know and you have changed me completely. You have captured every bit of me and that is why I do have one possession."

He reached into his nightstand, pulled a picture out and handed it to her.

She gazed upon it and noticed it was a picture someone had taken of her and Damon dancing at the Founder's Day Gala. Elena had no idea how Damon had managed to get it; but it didn't matter. This single picture signified exactly how much she meant to him and how long his feelings dated back. Her eyes never strayed from the photo as she stated with complete certainty, "I love you, Damon."

Elena pulled her eyes from the picture to meet Damon's, pure happiness reflecting from them, and pulled him into a tight embrace. She held onto him with every bit of strength she had as love consumed her. Every action and every situation they had been through had led them to this exact moment. Elena marveled in the fact that this was exactly where she was suppose to be and exactly how she was supposed to feel; and she had no intention of ever letting that go. There was no way in hell she was going to lose him after this.

She kept her arms firmly around Damon, but pulled her head back in order to look at him. She sighed and said, "We've wasted an entire hour. We should probably call the others and see what they've come up with. I know this has been fun and I would love to continue it, but the clock is ticking. Once we figure out how to save you, we can continue this for as long as you want." She then winked at him as a smile graced her lips.

Damon shot her his signature smirk and replied, "C'mon, Elena, I don't think that hour was _wasted_. That hour was the best hour of my life and I would like to repeat it just once before we enter back into reality."

He quickly rolled on top of Elena and held her hands above her head as he slowly brought his lip to nibble on her earlobe. She giggled and pleaded, "Damon… We don't have much time."

"I promise to be fast," Damon begged into her ear.

Elena knew time was running out, but the pleasure of Damon's lips once again touching her was enough to sway her better judgment. She cupped his head in between her hands and brought it in front of hers. "Fine, but after this we get back to work!"

Damon laughed and said, "Yes ma'am," before bringing his lips down on hers.

* * *

Their lips were locked in a passionate kiss as Elena's heartbeat started. Damon tried to push the sound to the back of his thoughts, but it was all he could think about. The sound of her blood pumping through her veins was too strong. All he wanted was a taste. Just one little taste was all he needed.

Damon threw himself off of Elena and against the wall, his upper fangs digging into his lower lip signifying exactly what he wanted. This time the separation relieved nothing. His desire to puncture her neck in just the right place for optimum blood flow was taking over.

Damon screamed, "Run, Elena."

She grabbed her scattered clothes from the floor and turned to run, but spun around to ask, "What's wrong?"

Damon screamed, "I'm not sure. What I _am_ sure of is that I will drain your entire body dry if you don't get the hell out of here!"

Elena turned around and took one step before hesitating once more.

Damon let out a vicious growl and shouted, "The cellar downstairs. There is a separate lock on the inside of the door. You can lock yourself in so I won't be able to get to you. If you try to get home, I'll only catch up to you."

Fear laced with concern covered Elena's expression as she cried, "What about the others?"

He started towards her and spat, "I don't care about the others. You're safety is the only important thing to me. Now just go!" He shoved her through his bedroom door before turning and focusing all of himself on the roaring fire.

Damon's internal instincts were beating to get to the surface and it was taking every ounce of strength within him to keep them at bay. He clenched his fist around the shelf above the fireplace and focused all of his attention on the crackling fire below. Although he knew it probably had no effect, he focused on breathing in and out. His lungs didn't need the air, but at this moment it focused his concentration on the simple task instead of the hammering heartbeat two floors below.

Waves of desire crashed against his resistant will. He tried to push it back, but the force was becoming too much to handle. Damon knew it was impossible to hold the urges off forever; eventually he would have to give in. He flashed to the liquor stand and frantically poured himself a strong drink in an attempt to ease the intensity of his urges, but before he could bring the glass to his lips his sight transitioned into red.

He threw the full glass against the wall causing it to shatter into tiny pieces. His lips stretched into a horrifying smile as he listened to the fluttering heartbeat below. It was going to be one hell of task getting through that damn cellar door, but the prize on the other side was more than enough reason to try.

This was going to be his greatest victory yet. Although the idea that Stefan had gotten to taste her first enthralled Damon with anger, the idea that he was going to be the one to drain her completely dry brought him enough satisfaction. He hadn't gotten to her first, but no one else would ever experience the pleasure of tasting her. That was reserved for him.

Damon's tongue played with the tip of his upper fang as he thought about the future pleasure of Elena's blood flowing down his throat and saturating every surface of his insides. He could almost taste the intensely sweet liquid already.

The poor girl had no idea what she was up against and Damon reveled in the fact that he was a master at obtaining what he wanted. If a door was the only thing standing in his way, the damsel had absolutely no chance. Hell, he could even rip that delicate vervain necklace from around her neck and have her willingly surrender herself over.

Damon shook his head and disregarded his last idea. It required too much time. What he needed right now was relief and the quicker it came, the better. He turned and stalked towards the basement, the thought of the kill sending an excited shiver coursing through his entire body. In a matter of minutes, Elena would be lying lifeless on the floor as her blood pulsed through his lifeless body.

* * *

**I hope this chapter lived up to all of your expectations! Smut just really isn't my thing, so I'm sorry for those of you who were excited to read it. I can write it to a certain extent, but for the most part it just winds up being awful. So I left it out.**

**I am still writing chapter 14 and it's taking me more time than normal because evil Damon is remaining extremely tight-lipped. He's perfect in my brain, but every time I get him typed on the computer he's completely wrong. But I plan on working on it this weekend a bit. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter for you all soon.**

_**Comments would be a great creative motivator. Just saying... ;)**_


	14. Chapter 14

******A concern was brought up about Damon's behavior last chapter. I just wanted to clarify that this wolf bite is causing him to do and feel all sorts of things he normally wouldn't. You can see that a lot more clearly in this chapter. I know it's extremely out of character for Damon to attack Elena, but he's not himself right now. The venom from the bite had one heck of an effect on him and causes him to act a little insane. The urges he is experiencing are nothing like what he deals with daily, they are amplified to extreme proportions. He doesn't know how to handle them and he gets a bit loopy and blood hungry. So in my mind, everything is fair game. :)**

**__****Here you all go. It took a while, but I hope it's worth the wait. :)**  


* * *

Elena sat crunched in the corner of the basement cellar. She had done exactly what Damon had demanded her to do. She ran as quickly as she could down the stairs, stopping only in the parlor to gather the rest of her clothes, and slammed the door of the cellar before firmly locking herself inside. Her better judgment begged her to fear the monster upstairs, but her heart wouldn't let her.

She knew something was off. She could see the fear in Damon's eyes as he had screamed for her to flee towards the basement. She could also sense it in his uneasiness. It was obvious, Damon wasn't right, but he was still _her_ Damon. No matter how much effect the wolf bite had on him, he wouldn't hurt her. Would he?

Elena jumped as she heard glass shatter upstairs and she listened intently but heard nothing else. She stared through the one tiny opening in the door, desperate to see something; anything, but nothing followed. The sight she had of the hallway still remained empty.

The silence that followed was even more terrifying than the glass shatter. At least she had some idea of what was happening around her from noise; silence gave her nothing. The continued quiet caused Elena's heartbeat to quicken in fear. What if Damon was hurt? What if he was in pain and needed her help? Or worse, what if he had passed that quickly?

After a few moments of consideration, she heaved herself from the musty cellar floor determined to see if Damon was alright, but froze mid lift. Footsteps echoed against the cement walls signifying someone's arrival. Elena squatted back down into the corner, but continued to stare at the tiny opening of the cellar door as Damon's face appeared. She let out a sigh of relief at the site of his gentle appearance; he no longer featured the tormented expression he had just moments ago.

Damon wrapped his hands tightly around the bars of the cellar door; those tiny cylinders of metal were all that kept him from entering the room. He pushed his face slightly against the bars and stared at her with apologetic eyes. Elena returned his stare, but said nothing. She wasn't exactly sure what to say, or even do for that matter. He had told her to lock herself inside the room, but he hadn't told her how she would know when the right time was to come out.

Damon broke the silence with an exhausted whisper. "I'm so sorry."

Elena wanted to move to him, but common sense kept her firmly in place. Uncertainty filled her expression as she asked, "What are you sorry about? You haven't done anything wrong yet."

"I scared you. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to control the urges, but I can. You don't have to worry. I'm not going to hurt you, Elena." He responded.

Damon stuck out his index finger and pulled it in again signaling her to come to the door, but Elena didn't budge. Every piece of her heart pleaded for her to join Damon, but something was off. He _appeared_ to have regained control of himself, but his eyes gave him away. Elena noticed the tinge of desire as his focus lingered a bit too long on her neckline. He may have fooled anyone else, but she knew him too well. This was not _her_ Damon.

Elena quickly sifted through her mind for possible ideas to escape the current situation, but there was only one obvious choice. She had to stall him as long as she could. The longer Damon was ignorant to the fact that she understood what was happening, the better. She could buy the others more time to find a cure while also buying herself time to stay alive.

Also, Elena couldn't help but consider what exactly was keeping her safe. She knew Damon wouldn't have lied to her when he told her the cellar was the safest place for her to go, but she had no idea how long the ancient door would hold strong. After Stefan's suicide mission he had seen how weak the door was, and therefore fixed it in case they found it's use necessary in a future situation. Well the future situation was now and that door's dependability was definitely necessary, but Elena didn't want to take chances relying solely on its restructured strength. She mentally reasoned: the longer she kept Damon's temper down, the longer that cellar door stayed intact.

Elena cleared her head and prepared herself for the show she was about to put on. Silently she hoped _this_ Damon wasn't as good at reading her as _her_ Damon was. She lifted herself from the dirty floor and stated, "But you told me to stay in here."

Damon stroked his hand nonchalantly against the metal bar and replied, "And I'm the one telling you it's safe to come out."

Elena tilted her head to the side and asked, "But how do I know I can trust you?"

"C'mon, Elena, it's me. Do you really think I would hurt you after everything we just did upstairs? Now please, we only have a little time left and we don't want to waste it." Damon stretched his hand through the bars and although Elena knew he was extremely too far away to touch her, the desire to do so was etched all over his face.

Elena let out a breath of musty air as she replied, "Of course I trust you, but I just need to hear you say it again."

Damon gawked at her in obvious confusion and asked, "What again?"

"Those three words; I just need to hear you say them, so I know that it's really you." Elena knew if there was a monster inside of Damon it was probably crawling at the idea of repeating such romantic words, but this was her true test. _Her_ Damon would have no problem saying them in the same passionate and genuine tone in which he had said them before. And if he didn't, she'd know the truth.

He grunted and quickly spat, "You're being a bit over-dramatic, but I love you silly; you know I do. Now, just unlock the door."

Bingo. There was her answer. Although he repeated the words, it was blatantly obvious how little they actually meant to him.

Damon's head cocked abruptly and seconds later Elena heard the soft ring of his phone upstairs. She glanced at him hoping for any sign of movement, but he remained motionless in front of the door.

"Aren't you going to answer it?" Elena pushed.

Damon shrugged and stated, "Nah, I'm sure whoever is calling is not nearly as important as you. Now where were we?"

Elena desperately wished for Damon to return to his sane state if only for a minute so he would answer the phone. She needed the reassurance that everyone was on their way back to the boarding house. There were enough of them, so restraining Damon wouldn't be too difficult and the fate of her life wouldn't weigh so heavily on her mind. But to her disappointment, the cell rang three more times and stopped before the room once again filled with silence.

Damon let out a frustrated huff and pleaded, "Just unlock the door. You're being ridiculous."

"No," she replied. Elena was terrified, but she was also pissed. Any hopes she had of hearing positive news had just slipped through her fingers because Damon's one-track mind had decided to ignore the important phone call they had been waiting all night to receive.

"Damnit, Elena!" Damon slammed his fist against two of the metal bars causing them to bend slightly into the room. He then squeezed the bridge of his nose in between his thumb and forefinger in what appeared to be an attempt to calm himself down.

Elena gasped, covered her eyes and pressed herself as far as the cement walls behind her allowed to make herself as tiny and invisible as possible. When she finally removed her hands from her face, Damon's stare was all she saw. He seemed to have regained his controlled front as he pressed his face into the cylinders and pleaded one more time, "I'm sorry for letting my temper get the best of me." He rolled his eyes and explained, "Vampire tendencies." As if that justified anything.

He returned his hands to the metal bars and questioned, "But is this really how you want us to spend the last few hours of my life? Talking through a safety-bared hole?"

Elena couldn't control her emotions and her previous front vanished. Tears formed and escaped from her eyes as she cried, "I'm sorry, Damon, but I can't open the door. I wish it were different, but I know what will happen if I do."

Damon's eyes narrowed as a hint of evil splash across them. "And what exactly will happen if you open this door?" He spoke the question entirely too slowly and Elena couldn't help but notice the anxious enjoyment Damon seemed to have gotten as he asked it.

She slowly shook her head back and forth as panicked breaths escaped her slightly parted lips. Elena knew she had to calm herself down before she started to hyperventilate, but the fear was overwhelming and bubbling up inside of her ready to explode like a volcano. In a feeble attempt, she pushed the surge of panic back down into the pit of her stomach, as Damon spat impatiently, "Aren't you going to answer my question?"

Elena weakly shook her head back in forth through continued sobs.

Damon cocked his head to the side and pouted his lips. He then spoke to her as if he was speaking to a baby. "Too scared to play along?"

He let out a snort before his behavior transitioned once again. He clapped his hands together, the deafening slaps echoed off the walls and against Elena's eardrums, as a menacing smile stretched across his lips. "Ok. Let's play a game. And Elena, you're really going to want to play, trust me. You already know the question, so the odds are tilted in your favor."

Elena had no desire to take part in any twisted game Damon had planned for her, so she quickly shut her eyes in protest. Immediately after her vision turned black, she heard Damon's mocking voice. "Tsk, tsk, dear Elena. You haven't even heard the rules."

Elena fought every urge to scream in defense at the crazed vampire in front of her and for a moment she almost did, but her will to survive was too strong. She knew she had to play along in Damon's sick game or else his temper would flare once again. Reluctantly, she parted her lids.

Damon's energized smile in response to her submissive behavior reached to the edges of his eyes causing them to become slightly squinty. If the situation had been any different, Elena would have considered it boyishly adorable, but it wasn't. She was still trapped in the same terrifying life or death event, and therefore, Damon's smile brought her nothing but tingles of fear.

"You ready to hear the rules?" Damon questioned.

Elena remained silent; she had no intention of supplying him the satisfaction of a response.

Damon waited a few short seconds before he rolled his eyes and muttered, "I'll take your silence as a yes."

He suddenly became animated as he rubbed his hands together and announced, "Ok. This game is incredibly simple and there is only one question. You answer it correctly and we do things your way. I'll just sit out here and boringly talk to you until I die."

His hands then became still, the smile from his face completely erased, as he narrowed his eyes and said, "On the other hand… if you get it wrong, I get to kill you." His eyes popped open as he asked, "Ready?"

A whimper accidentally escaped from Elena's mouth and Damon's smile reappeared. She had witnessed enough and as tears trickled into the creases of her nose she reasoned, "You're not yourself, Damon."

Damon waved his hand through the air dismissively and spat, "Of course I'm myself, Elena. This is I! That vampire you stupidly confessed your love for doesn't exist! This is who I am." He whipped his face to look directly at hers through the window and asked, "What was that crap anyway?" He raised his pitch to resemble hers as he repeated the words she had admitted only moments before. "_I'm in love with you, Damon._ Blah, blah, blah. You really are a sick twisted girl, Elena." He spoke her name with such disdain that it made her flinch, but he didn't seem to notice. "Who the fuck falls in love with not just one, but two vampires?"

All Elena could do was listen and watch through her tear-filled eyes. He was all over the place and she couldn't keep up. She had never seen this side of Damon before. He wasn't just the evil vampire she previously had the luxury of knowing so many months ago, but an entirely different one. _This_ Damon resembled nothing about the original.

Damon slammed his hands against the metal bars and shouted, "Cat got your tongue? We'll that's alright, I'll talk for you. Here's the thing, you almost had me and I can't believe that I fell for it!" He paused for a second and exaggerated a shiver as he continued, "Vampires don't _feel_, Elena, we kill. And at this point I'm tired of waiting to do it. You threw away any chance you had at surviving because now I'm bored. Fuck the game, you don't get any chances out of this."

He stopped talking to closely examine the metal bars on the cellar door, obviously contemplating a way to get through them, before letting out a frustrated grunt. He didn't even make the effort to look in her direction as he muttered, "Stefan really did a number on this door. It's solid proof."

Elena responsively let out a relieved sigh. Damon's eyes darted from the bars to stare menacingly into hers as he teased, "Don't you worry. Nothings impossible, my dear Elena."

He paced in the hallway, only becoming visible for seconds each time he passed the hole of the door, and sang out loud, "_How do I get to you, Elena… I'm oh so ready to drink ya… You smell so great… I can hardly wait… How do I get to you, Elena_."

While Damon continued singing, Elena ran all possible escape plots through her head before finally coming to the understating that it was hopeless. There was no chance in hell she was going to get past a supernatural hungry vampire if he managed to break through the door. Her only bet was to keep him occupied.

Elena mustered up any remaining courage she had left and lifted herself from the dirty cement. She then walked three steps to the center of the cellar and stopped. Meanwhile, Damon had silenced his singing and was now intensely watching her every movement like a desperate lion waiting for its primary kill.

Elena knew this would get her nowhere, but the questioned begged to be asked. "Why me?"

Damon shrugged and responded, "You're here. Why not you?"

Elena took a step closer towards Damon, making sure his attention remained focused on her and reasoned, "There is an entire fridge in the next room filled with blood bags. You could easily drink them and ease your craving."

Damon cocked his head to the side; he seemed to consider her offer, before waving his hand through the air dismissively at her idea. "Tempting, but just not the same. I prefer my blood at a warm 98.6. Plus, since the past few days have been consumed by rescuing my brother and me dying, I really haven't had the opportunity to visit the blood bank so I'm running a little low."

A part of Elena wondered why his lack of supplement in the basement had any effect on his decision. He was going to die in a few hours, so why not drink it anyway? Immediately after the thought went through her head, Elena felt sick. Although the vampire she was currently with wasn't the one she loved, it was still _him_ deep down. And the thought of him dying still sent a burst of pain charging through her insides.

Elena took another step closer. She knew it was probably a foolish idea, but she decided to ask the question anyway. "But why me? There are hundreds of other humans that you could get to outside of this house. Why put all of the effort into killing me?"

Damon rolled his eyes and stroked one of the metal bars; and Elena couldn't help but notice he still appeared bored by their back and forth. His irritation flared as Damon asked, "Isn't it obvious by now, Elena? For some ungodly reason I've attached myself to you. I know…"

His sentence stopped abruptly as Damon winced and grabbed his arm. Elena took the moment to gaze upon the wound for the first time since their sexual interactions had started; only to notice it had gotten worse. Skin had begun to peel back from around Tyler's puncture marks and the entire area was an inflamed color of red. Her gut instinct was to comfort him, but the smarter side of her reasoning kept her in place.

Damon's tensed face eased back to normal signifying the pain had died down. Although his pain has subsided, his temper had not. He let out a horrifying snarl and screamed, "As soon as I am done killing you, I'm tearing that fucking werewolf into pieces."

He then whirled his uninfected arm spastically through the air and continued his previous topic. "Anyway, where were we? Oh yea, I know you thought it would be all rainbows and butterflies, but here's a reality shock for you. Dating a vampire has its downfalls." He then brought his hands to his face and made an exaggerated shocked expression.

He took the moment to look at his fingernails and said nonchalantly, "But this is only what I've heard and it's the best explanation I've got for why I'm so infected by the idea of drinking from you. I haven't exactly experienced it myself, since the last bitch I let myself foolishly fall for was a vampire when I met her. But apparently since my reformed pitiful self developed feelings for you, your blood will be unlike anything I have ever tasted before."

Elena noticed the way Damon grimaced as he spoke of his feelings for her, but she also didn't miss the anxious flicker in his eyes as he spoke about her blood's taste.

She silently wondered why Stefan had never explained to her how dangerous it was to drink from a human you loved, especially since he already had a problem controlling his urges. She thought back on how stupid it was to offer up her own blood without considering all of the consequences.

Elena's thoughts were interrupted as Damon continued, "You see, it isn't about simply feeding on you anymore; it's about so much more." His lips curled into a horrifying smile as he added, "Plus, it's all about the hunt and you being behind this door only makes me crave you more."

He threw his fist against the metal bars causing them to bend just slightly inward once again. He observed his effect and muttered, "I just need to get through this fucking door first."

He threw his fist into the bars a third time causing one of them to snap in half. Damon screamed and grabbed his arm in pain, but after a few shakes of the wrist, he seemed perfectly fine. He lifted his frightening glare to meet Elena's and announced with victory, "I told you nothing was impossible."

Damon examined the remaining intact bars and spoke with irritation, "This arm stings like a bitch, but there's only three more bars. And you my prize, are definitely worth fighting through the pain." He then began slamming his fist repeatedly against the remaining cylinders.

It was easy to see that Damon was making progress. As his fist came in contact with another bar it snapped in half leaving only two remaining as protection. Elena moved back into the corner as fear engulfed her; if he continued at the speed he was moving, she'd be dead in a minute.

Tears had reformed and were running down Elena's flushed face as Damon successfully broke through another bar. One left. She brought her hands to cover her eyes just as Damon was about to strike again, but this time all she heard was screaming. No clink of the pipe signifying its break or thud of Damon's fist making contact; just unbearable screams.

Elena lowered her hands from her face and slowly looked up at the hole. Damon was no longer visible, but his heartbreaking cries of pain still echoed throughout the room.

Reactively, she ran to the door to see what was happening to the vampire she loved. She knew it probably wasn't the smartest decision, but _her_ Damon was in there somewhere and the thought of him in pain physically hurt her as well.

She smashed her face against the bars only to see Damon curled into the fetal position on the dust-covered floor. He screamed in agony and flashes of Rose danced across Elena's memory. The female vampire hadn't lasted very long after her pain had kicked in. Realization swept over Elena as it dawned on her that time was running out.

Damon let out another painful cry as Elena wrestled with what she knew was safe and what her gut instinct was telling to do. She took a deep breath and wrapped her hand around the door's lock. She started to twist when she heard Damon weak voice cry, "Don't."

Elena's hand froze, but didn't leave the lock. He had told her to stop and there was no way in hell psycho Damon would have spoken those words.

She hesitantly peered through the hole and saw Damon in the same feeble position he had been in. His breathing was rapid and harsh and his eyes were tightly shut in pain. His hand was clenched protectively over his wound, but pieces of flesh fell through his fingers. The rest of his body was covered in a shiny layer of sweat and all Elena knew was that she desperately wanted to comfort him. It was the only action she had to offer him at the moment, so she twisted the lock and opened the door.

* * *

The intense pain of his bite wound had snapped Damon out of his previous trance. He no longer had any desire to tear into Elena and feed from her because he simply had no energy left to do so. It was taking all of him to keep from passing out as a result of his pain.

Damon immediately felt Elena's comforting embrace cover his chilled body. Her skin instantly sent a soothing warming sensation over his, but he knew he couldn't enjoy it. He had no idea how long this effect was going to last and he couldn't risk the unknown. At any moment his cravings could come back. So with the little strength he had remaining, Damon weakly pushed Elena off of him and begged, "Please get back in the cellar!"

Elena rushed back and placed both hands around his face as she spoke with determination. "I'm not leaving you."

_God, she was stubborn._ He knew Elena always did what she wanted, but he had to make her see the severity of the situation. He winced as another painful blast shot through his arm and through forced breaths he explained, "I don't want to hurt you."

Elena shook her head dismissively and replied, "You won't; I trust you. Now just relax." She once again wrapped her arms around his body and rested her forehead against his. Damon embraced the warmth her body offered as his body's tension eased.

A few minutes had elapsed and although Elena's body heat was helping a great deal, Damon continued to shiver uncontrollably and if he was human he assumed this was how a terribly high fever would have felt. Moisture was seeping out of every surface of his body and as the minutes passed, so did his strength.

He struggled to keep his eyes open, but the trickling sweat stung and made it extremely difficult. And as if the pain wasn't excruciating enough, he kept experiencing intense flashes of himself biting into Elena's neck. He knew she was only trying to help, and doing a great job at it, but the desires were becoming more difficult to resist. He knew it wasn't safe for her to be as close to him as she was, but his own selfishness kept him from admitting his thoughts out loud.

Elena stroked the sweat away from his eyes and asked, "Can I take a look at your arm?"

Damon nodded, but immediately regretted it. The second he removed his hand pain seared the entire infected area. Elena let out a gasp as she nervously announced the obvious, "It's getting worse, Damon."

The tears forming in her eyes were too much to take. It was one thing for him to die a slow painful death, but completely devastating for her to have to witness it first-hand. He knew this was destroying her as much emotionally as it was him physically and Damon feebly attempted to make conversation to lighten to mood. It took a terribly large amount of his remaining energy to joke, "It figures that I would have to experience all three of the side-effects Ric said could happen, but at least I managed to skip out on experiencing the etc. he didn't mention. Now that could have been terrible!"

His comment had the reverse effect he had hoped for on Elena. Sobs started escaping from her at a rapid rate as her grip tightened around him. "I can't lose you, Damon. Please just hang on until they get back. Please."

Another wave of desire crashed through Damon's system and he clenched his muscles in response. The action caused his entire body to scream in agony, but it was better than the alternative. He would not hurt Elena. He had already been weak once this evening and he planned on doing everything physically possible not to let it happen again.

Damon relaxed his body as the wave repressed. He lifted his uninfected arm to run his hand through Elena's dark hair and said, "After everything I just put you through I can't believe you're here. Thank you for being with me, I know this has to be hard on you."

Elena leaned her head into his hand and compassionately replied, "Of course. I love you." She then lowered her lips to meet his. He knew she was taking a risk by getting that close to him, but the kiss was gentle and perfectly painless so he just simply enjoyed it. Damon realized for a minute that if he had to die, having Elena beside him made everything easier. Her loving comfort was enough to keep him fighting for as long as he could, but he knew the inevitable was coming. He needed to make sure she understood how sorry he felt for the things he had said and the way he had acted just moments before. It wasn't him and she needed to understand that.

"Elena, I…" but before he had time to finish his sentence, Damon shot open his eyes and weakly announced, "They're home."

Elena raised her head and tilted it around to look at the basement staircase as she yelled, "We're down here. Hurry!"

Damon saw the carotid artery throbbing in Elena's neck as soon as she had turned. It was so close to his mouth and it was just begging to be pierced. The delicate translucent skin moved up and down showing off the premium liquid it contained and Damon couldn't help himself. Before he had time to rethink his actions, his fangs elongated and he punctured into her bloodstream.

Elena let out a shrilling scream and frantically pushed against Damon's face with her fists, but it had no effect. His hold on her was too strong and the feeling of her blood rushing through his insides fed his strength even more. He sucked harder and as each new rush of blood hit his tongue, it tasted better than the previous. Everything he had imagined Elena to taste like fell flat compared to her true taste. Her blood was everything he had wanted and needed.

Her body slowly stopped jerking and her arms fell limp to her sides, but Damon never faltered. He continued to drink with no intention of stopping until every bit was drained.

He heard the stampede of footsteps coming down the stairs, but paid them no mind. He was completely consumed by the sensation Elena's blood was offering his body and the way it made him feel. Nothing else mattered.

Echoed screams in the background were the last thing Damon heard before he felt the pin prick in his back. Everything started to become hazy as he lifelessly fell to the side, pulling Elena's limp body down with him. His fangs were still firmly intact in the layers of skin around the base of her neck as his vision faded to black.

* * *

**Alright guys, Damon was a bitch in this chapter for me to write. He was all over the freaking place and every time I wrote him, he refused to cooperate. Hopefully his mood swings made sense and if they didn't let me know. It's one thing for me to read it and understand and a completely different experience for you to read it. I know what I want him to do and think and mean, you guys don't unless I portray it correctly in words.**

**I have already written the next chapter and it's pretty darn long as well. I guess this increase in length is going to be my new standard. I still need to re-read and make any changes, but I hope to post it soon.**

_**P.S. Comments would be an amazing soother for the pain this chapter caused me while writing it. lol.**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**I wanted to thank everyone for all of the positive reviews for my last chapter! Apparently Damon came off great and you guys really loved him. That was awesome, considering how difficult he was for me. So thanks again!**_

**Just a heads up... this chapter includes no Delena scenes. It's a transition chapter for what's coming next.**

* * *

Damon opened his eyes, but only to notice his vision remained too blurred to make anything out. He was well aware there were people around him, but their figures all appeared the same. The only thing he could make out was the bright light from above and the surrounding moving shadows.

Their voices at first were muffled, but after focusing his concentration he was able to pick up certain phrases and words, but not complete sentences nor who said them.

Someone asked, "…do with him?"

"Leave him…" Another responded.

A softer voice questioned, "…vervain kill him?"

Then heavy footsteps muffled their sounds and the voices vanished. Damon tried to move, but his entire body was on fire. Even the slightest movement from his finger caused a streak of fire scorching through his insides. But the worst was his arm; all stinging waves seemed to originate from the area. He tried to lift his other arm to examine the one that was hurting him so badly, but the searing pain pushed him back down.

He let out a frustrated sigh and blinked in an attempt to clear his vision, but it was useless. All he could see were basic clouds of color - no definition, just fuzzy masses.

He tried to remember what had happened, but his memory seemed scattered. He remembered Elena and something about his bedroom. Flashes of her skin kept appearing as he tried to pull the memory out, but nothing registered. He also remembered Alaric, Bonnie, and Caroline searching through something in his house, but that was it. No linking memories to configure them all together.

Damon badly wished he could lift his hands and rub the temples around his eyes to relieve the pulsing ache that beat frantically through his frontal lobe. It felt like he was dying, he had to have been. He had never experienced pain this excruciating before and putting the pieces of his scattered memories back together was only making the situation worse. Accepting that the pain was too overwhelming, Damon let out an aggravated sigh and finally gave up.

He closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind of everything. He didn't want to think about where he was, why he was there, or especially the stinging sensation coursing through his interior. At the moment he just wanted to relax; it was practically the only thing his body was capable of doing.

Slow footsteps echoed throughout the space. Damon really didn't want to make the effort to force his eyes open, but his curiosity got the best of him. He realized his vision had not improved and let out a breathe in aggravation.

A shadowed figure moved closer to him until Damon could feel the warmth from the person's skin. Although he knew the person had to be inches from his face, all he could make out was the black shadow of his clothes. He felt warm fingers touch his face as someone whispered, "Open your mouth."

Responsively he shot it an expression, which clearly meant _no way in hell_. Although Damon couldn't exactly see the character in front of him that he was interacting with, he could at least make out its words. They were shallow and it felt like he was listening to them from the bottom of a well, but it was an improvement over the hazy vision.

The figure pushed something against Damon's lips and explained, "I'm going to help you. Now don't be stupid and just eat this."

Although it took every ounce of strength Damon had within him, he rotated his face so his mouth was free to ask, "Who are you?"

Damon received no response so he tried another question. "How do I know I can trust you?"

The shadowed figure let out a low laugh as it replied, "You don't. You're just going to have to trust me when I say that I am going to need you in the future."

Confusion swirled in with the already unbearable pain as Damon pushed out, "What do you need me for?"

"All in due time," the figure vaguely answered. The person brought whatever was in their hand to Damon's mouth again, but this time after slightly hesitating, he parted his cracked lips to allow entry.

Something dry and rough was placed on Damon's tongue before the figure left the room. Damon wanted to cry out for them to come back, but he didn't have the energy to do so. Instead he chewed on the object in his mouth. It was absolutely disgusting and tasted like rotted tree bark, but if it helped diminish the pain he was feeling, it was worth bearing the taste.

After Damon had forcefully swallowed every bit of the mysterious object, he once again let his head fall back to rest on the hard floor underneath of him. Almost immediately he felt a relieving sensation flow through him. It started in his chest and moved its way throughout his entire body. Once it reached the tips of his limbs it swirled around and came back once more until it focused on his aching arm.

The relieving sensation became chilled as it attacked whatever was on his arm, and as it did Damon felt the pain disappear. Everything about him was rejuvenating itself and it was obvious his health was greatly improving. His eyesight was focusing into clarity and he was beginning to regain his ability to move the outermost of his extremities.

After successfully wiggling his fingers, Damon attempted to sit up but he didn't get very far; the weight of whatever was flowing through his system forced him back down to the ground. The stuff made one last run through his body before returning to his chest and fading away; and as it did, so did Damon's short-lived consciousness.

* * *

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Elena faintly heard the steady rhythm as she groaned in pain. She slowly opened her eyes only to be blinded by the bright luminescent light glaring from above. She immediately resealed her eyes and brought her hands to cover them. After a moment of adjusting, she inched her fingers and rubbed them against her lids in comfort. After a few strokes she opened her eyes again.

It took a moment for her vision to focus in or her surroundings, but once it did, it became blatantly obvious that she was in one of Mystic Falls Hospital's private rooms.

Her head was pounding and that damn heart machine was only making it worse. Although it was merely a light beep in the background, it felt like sub woofers were blaring it around inside of head. She used her hands to lift her body against the back of her bed before turning and noticing Caroline. The female vamp's worry-filled eyes were staring directly at her. Elena finished adjusting herself into an upright position before Caroline grabbed her in a tight embrace.

"Oh Elena, I was so worried about you!" Caroline cried.

Elena wrapped her arms around her friend and soaked in her warm hug. With her head still rested on Caroline's shoulder she croaked, "Aww Care, I'm fine." She winced slightly before she admitted, "I'm just a little sore, but my head is killing me and I really need some water."

Caroline released her hold and offered Elena the glass of water that had previously been sitting on the hospital nightstand.

Elena took the glass and sipped at it before downing it's entire content. She smiled and then handed the glass back to Caroline and said in a well-improved voice, "Much better. Thank you."

Caroline, being the overachiever she was, started in on the list of duties she had already tackled. "I requested the nurses give you a private room. It was no problem considering my impeccable persuasion skills." She winked at Elena before continuing, "I made sure to give them strict instructions to keep you on low pain meds, which explains your headache, because I didn't want you getting too fuzzy on me. Jeremy's in the cafeteria grabbing a quick bite to eat, and I also called Jenna and explained everything to her. So, she'll be here soon."

Elena eyed her friend suspiciously and asked, "What story did you feed her?"

Caroline rolled her eyes and replied, "Oh you know, the normal. Ric told me the lie you gave her earlier so I went off of that. The boys were fuming about the things that had been stolen so we went for a walk to get some fresh air and you were attacked by an animal. It happens enough around here that she totally bought it."

Elena took the moment to think about the details she would have to offer up to Jenna as Caroline added, "Oh yeah, and I told her you didn't remember much about the incident. So she won't ask you too many questions."

A weak smile graced Elena's lips as she said, "Good thinking. Thanks for that."

"No problem." Her friend rested her elbows on the side of the hospital bed and with deeply concerned eyes she asked, "How are you, really?"

Elena sarcastically responded, "Oh, you mean after nearly being killed by a psychotic vampire? Never been better."

She then let out a sigh and answered honestly, "I don't know. I get that it was the wolf venom and not him, but…" She trailed off without ending her sentence. She looked up to face Caroline and questioned, "How is he?"

Caroline hesitated before she answered, "Passed out in the cellar. Once we saw what he was doing to you, Ric shot him with one of his vervain darts. It knocked him out cold." Caroline seemed to be remembering the incident because she shook and shivered. "Once we were able to pull him off of you, we drug him into the cellar and locked him in. If he attacked you of all people, there was no doubt in our minds that he wouldn't think twice before doing the same to anyone else."

Elena already knew the answer but the question had to be asked. "Were you able to find a cure?"

Caroline shook her head and explained, "We only came back to the house because the security guard at the school told us it was getting too late and we had to leave. Ric informed him that he was a history teacher at the school and insisted that he let us stay, but the guard refused. We tried to call Damon to fill you guys in, but he didn't answer. Now we know why."

She paused and looked at the floor before finally admitting slowly, "We couldn't find anything, Elena. I'm so sorry."

Elena's eyed filled with liquid, but she blinked the tears back and replied, "It's ok, we all knew it was a long-shot. But at least we tried. Is anyone with him?"

The female vamp answered, "Yeah. Ric, Bonnie, and Luka are still there with him. They figured it was best for Jeremy and me to bring you here in case Damon managed to wake up again. Bonnie and Luka know enough magic to keep him under control if that happens."

Elena sighed and said, "Ok. Have you talked to Tyler?"

Caroline shook her head and responded, "I've left him a couple of voicemails, but it's 2 o'clock in the morning." She rolled her eyes and continued, "He's probably still running wild around town."

Elena's eyes shot open in surprise before she asked, "Aren't you scared he might attack someone?"

Her friend stared back with torment in her eyes as she admitted, "Terrified, but there's nothing I can do about it."

The two girls sat in silence for a few moments before Caroline suddenly became hysterical. "I was so afraid I was going to lose you, Elena. I fed you some of my blood, but there was hardly any of yours left in your system for it to work with." Tears streamed from her eyes as she cried, "I really thought you were going to die."

Elena grabbed her friend's hand and pulled her into another comforting embrace. "Everything's fine. You don't have to worry, I'm not going anywhere."

As the two continued to hold onto each other for emotional support, Elena couldn't help her mind from going into overdrive. It was confirmed, Damon was going to die and she would probably never see him again. Everyone had tried their best, but their efforts had been rendered useless. His fate had been decided and tears fell from her rosy cheeks as the reality finally hit her.

"God I miss having girlfriends," Jenna interrupted.

Elena and Caroline pulled away from each other to look in Jenna's direction. Her and Jeremy were standing in the doorway of the private hospital room.

"That's what happens when you get old, aunt Jenna." Jeremy teased.

Jenna shot him a fake heated look and replied, "I am not old." She then turned to look at Elena and joked, "I just celebrated my 21st birthday."

Jeremy rolled his eyes and mocked, "For the 8th time."

Jenna playfully slapped him on the shoulder in response. She then took a few steps towards the girls and placed a hand on Caroline's back. "Thanks for bringing her in, Caroline. But I'm sure you're exhausted. I'll stay here and watch her if you want to get going."

Caroline looked to Elena for reassurance that it was ok for her to leave, but received none. She looked back in Jenna's direction and shrugged. "I'm fine. If it's alright with you, I'd like to stay a little longer."

"Of course. Stay with us as long as you want." Jenna smiled and then took a seat in one of the remaining empty chairs. Her smile faded as she grabbed Elena's hand and asked, "Is there anything I can get you?"

* * *

Damon sprang to life like a cardiac arrest patient after being shocked. He took a moment to look around the room before memories flooded back into his brain. The wolf he so foolishly tried to destroy, the bite that apparently didn't kill him, the confessions he let roll off of his tongue to Elena, the actions they had performed upstairs, the way he had tried and perhaps successfully killed her, and the shadowed figure that had saved his life. They shot across his vision in bursts until he fully remembered every detail.

He rubbed his eyes before sneaking a glance at his arm. Damon stared in astonishment as he took in the fully revived skin. It was perfect without a single trace of what had happened. He had no idea who the shadowed figure had been, but he was determined to find out.

Relief didn't last long. Although he had a new chance at life, it was possible he had ended Elena's. He jumped to his feet and flashed up the cement stairs before stopping immediately in his tracks. Painful bursts occurred inside of his head as Damon fell to the ground. He pulled both hands to grip each side of his head and let out a few agonizing screams.

Finally the bursts stopped and Damon opened his eyes to see three pairs of feet inches from his face. He slowly brought his gaze upward as Alaric, Bonnie, and that other witch appeared. He let out a groan before he spat, "Damnit Bonnie, I just went through the most painfully traumatic event of my life. Doesn't that at least grant me a few free minutes from your torture?"

Her witch friend spoke up and admitted, "That time was me."

Damon rolled to his side and rudely asked, "And who are you again?" He knew perfectly well who the guy was, but didn't want to give him the satisfaction of thinking he was important enough to be remembered.

He heard someone huff as Bonnie replied, "This is Luka, Damon. You've already met."

Damon pushed himself up only to be brought down once again by another rush of pain. Once it stopped he winced and screamed, "Completely unnecessary!"

Bonnie cocked her head to the side and with narrowed eyes she asked, "Is it?"

Damon could see it all over her face; she didn't believe him. Realization swept over allowing him to understand the reasoning behind their magical defenses. They had barged in on him attacking Elena, so it only seemed natural that they still viewed him as a threat.

He held his hands up in defeat and replied, "Yes. If I had something white I'd wave it around to show you I come in peace." He rolled his eyes before he stated, "If you don't believe me, just take a look at my arm."

All three humans stared at him before Ric finally made the first move. He lowered himself to examine Damon's previously infected arm and asked in disbelief, "How?"

Damon once again rolled his eyes and said, "I have no fucking idea. One minute every inch of my body was screaming bloody murder, and the next it was completely fine. Someone fed me something and then poof, instant revival."

Alaric's eyes narrowed in suspicion as he asked, "Someone fed you something?"

Damon glared at Alaric and questioned, "Did I stutter?"

Bonnie stepped forward making her presence in the conversation once again know. "Did you see who it was?"

"If I had seen who it was, don't you think I would have told you?" Damon sighed in frustration. He knew the fact that someone had helped him out should have felt like a gift, but it didn't. Damon knew perfectly well that when people gave something they more than likely wanted something in return.

The figure had stated Damon was needed for something in the future. Well, he was thankful for everything, but he had no intention of helping the person out. He didn't like being a pawn in someone's game and he certainly didn't like surprises. Whoever needed him was going to have a rude awakening when they came to claim their thanks.

Damon pushed his inner thoughts to the back of his focus. He didn't want to answer any more questions because they didn't matter right now. He needed to know how Elena was. Before anyone had the opportunity to ask him another question he asked the most important one. "Where's Elena?"

Alaric held up his hand in an attempt to shush Damon and interjected, "That's not important. We need to figure out exactly what's going on with you before you go running off to see Elena."

Damon's eyes popped open as hope consumed him. From the way Ric had just spoken, it appeared Elena was alive. He flashed in front of Ric and grabbed his neck, not enough to do any damage, but enough to get his point across. "Elena tops the most important topic on my list." He slowed his tempo and spoke each word clearly. "Now, where is she?"

"She's at the hospital, Damon." Bonnie interjected.

He let go of Ric's neck and turned to face her. "Which one?"

Bonnie nervously glanced around the room for support before she suggested, "I don't think it's a good idea for you to visit her just yet."

Damon shot Bonnie a challenging look causing her to explain her previous statement. Her tone softened as she reasoned, "You tried to kill her, Damon. She's probably going to need some time to bounce back from that."

Damon felt like a blade had been slashed across his heart. He felt terrible for what he had done to Elena. He couldn't believe he hadn't been strong enough to resist his urges. He shook his head replaying the horrible things he had said to her and desperately wished he could take everything back. He had to explain and most importantly he had to apologize.

Although Damon was dealing with his internal emotions, he had no desire to show them to his current audience. After all, he had an image to uphold. Instead he shot her an annoyed glance and said dryly, "She understands I couldn't control myself."

Bonnie replied, "Regardless; you should at least give her the night."

He knew the witch was right, Elena probably wasn't ready to see him, but his desire to hear her voice and know she was alright was too powerful to deny. He decided to strike a compromise. "Alright. I won't go visit, but I'm calling her."

He shot her his signature smirk before flashing to his phone. He started to dial Elena's number when Bonnie's hand wrapped around his shoulder. "Think about what you're doing, Damon."

He brushed her hand off and quickly snapped, "I did. Now let me make my phone call."

* * *

Elena couldn't believe she was laughing after the day she had just experienced, but her aunt's joke had been too hilarious not to.

The group had successfully lifted her spirits and despite still feeling a little weak and stuck in a hospital bed, she was enjoying herself. All previous events from the day had seeped to the back of her mind and she focused solely on the entertainment her loved ones were providing.

Caroline let out another snort as she said, "Please tell me that didn't actually happen."

Jenna teasingly lifted her eyebrows up and down and replied, "I guess you'll never know."

"I'm just going to keep telling myself it didn't happen. The vision of Ric I now have stained in my brain can never be erased. Thank you for that." Jeremy joked as he exaggerated a disgusted shiver.

Elena let out another giggle as she heard Damon's distinct ringtone chime from her phone. Uneasiness swarmed over Elena as Caroline reached into her purse and answered it. "Elena's phone."

Caroline's previous ease vanished as she tensed her body. In a mere whisper she asked, "How?"

Elena could sense Jenna's questioning stare, but focused hers solely on Caroline. After what felt like an eternity Caroline held the phone out in front of her towards Elena. "It's Damon. Everything's fixed and he wants to talk to you."

Elena understood Caroline's discreet way of telling her Damon was fine and he was going to live, but she couldn't exactly describe the feeling that overwhelmed her. Relief was the primary feeling, but it was laced with something else. _Was it fear?_ Elena tried to shake the feeling off, but it lingered. She wanted to know how Damon was cured, but she wasn't sure she was ready to talk to him. After much consideration, she shook her head back and forth.

Caroline understood and put the phone back against her ear. "I'm sorry, Damon, but she doesn't want to talk to anyone right now. Why don't you just wait until she gets home." With that she hung up the phone.

Jeremy obliviously crunched on another cheeto, while Jenna and Caroline both questionably stared at Elena. She knew the questions they had weren't completely different from one another, but she didn't feel like answering any. She let out a breathe of air and announced, "I know you both want answers, but I don't want to talk about it right now. I'm actually really tired and just want to go bed."

Elena could see that both girls understood, especially Caroline, and she silently thanked them for being so incredibly supportive. Caroline took the hint and swatted the side of Jeremy's head. "I think it's time to call it a night. Want a ride home?"

He stood up and said, "Sure." He then bent down and gave Elena a hug before the two of them exited through the door.

Some time had passed and Elena still found herself wide-awake in the lonely hospital room. Jenna had fallen asleep on the chair hours ago leaving Elena to deal with her thoughts. She was genuinely happy that Damon had survived. She loved him, and couldn't imagine how her life would have been without him in it, but she wasn't sure how to face him.

The images and feelings of his fangs tearing into her skin scared the shit out of her and she didn't know how long it would be until that fear diminished. The idea of seeing him and having him so close made a shiver shoot up her spine. She wasn't sure if she could handle being in the same room with Damon yet, let alone go back to the way things had been.

She let out a frustrated sigh. They had finally gotten to the point they were supposed to. They had been open and everything was on the table. She knew her feelings were still exactly the same, but she wasn't sure if her recoil effect would let her embrace them.

Elena rolled over and closed her eyes in an attempt to fade into sleep. Her breathing became regulated and heavy as she drifted into peace. She had one last though before she slipped away. One thing was certain; she was absolutely 100% in love with Damon Salvatore, but the demon hiding inside of him could be a perfect reason to make loving him not enough.

* * *

**So there you have it. Both characters are perfectly healthy again, which shouldn't have been much of a surprise. If one of them died my story would be over and it appears I still have a few more chapters left to tell. :)**

**The next chapter brings a very intense conversation between Damon and Elena and will determine where they stand as a couple. Will they decide to stay together or will Elena's fear push him away? Not sure... guess you'll just have to wait and see. I'm in the process of writing it and I'm surprised at how heated it has gotten. **

**Also, I would love to hear your guesses on who you think our mystery savior was. The person probably wont be revealed for at least 2 more chapters, but it would be fun to see who you guys think it is.**

_**As always, comments keep me writing. So keep 'em coming.**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**Thank you again for all of the feedback from the previous chapter! So many of you are enjoying this story and it just makes my heart want to burst from happiness. I am so thankful and surprised by the number of you that have favorited, subscribed, and commented on my work. **_

**I am finally seeing an end to this story. I am not sure on the exact number of remaining chapters I have left, since I still need to write them, but I'm going to guess and say around 5. It could definitely be more, but we'll see.**

**This chapter is entirely the conversation between Damon and Elena. It was a tricky subject for them to talk about, but surprisingly easy to write. Elena's decision was a no-brainer in my book and I hope it's as believable to you all as it was to me. Hope you like it!**

* * *

Light was barely breaking the horizon as Damon sat motionless on the porch swing. He had no idea what time Elena would be returning home or even if she was today, but he knew he needed to be there when she did.

When she had refused to speak to him on the phone, Damon knew everything had been destroyed. The perfect architecture of their relationship had crumbled and he needed to masterfully patch it back together. He knew his attempt at fixing the repairs could easily be unsuccessful, but he had to try. Elena was too important not to.

Damon grimaced as his thoughts once again drifted to the cellar. He had acted like a savage animal and therefore couldn't blame Elena for the way she obviously felt. Anyone would fear the monster he had become, but Elena was stronger than the average human. She had experienced enough of his supernatural life to build up immunity to it and Damon silently begged that her immunity was still intact.

Damon swept his hand through his tangled hair and shook his head in disbelief. He had literally fucked things up. The fact that he had been so weak baffled and embarrassed him. For so long he had prided himself of his ability to control his hunger. He wasn't Stefan and cravings shouldn't have been a problem. He understood the wolf venom was the main factor behind all of his behavior, but it wasn't an excuse. He should have been stronger and he sure as hell shouldn't have attacked the only person he really cared about.

He let out a breath of fresh air and pushed his feet against the ground. The swing gently rocked and Damon closed his eyes. He enjoyed the brisk air as it whizzed against his face and imagined himself next to Elena. It was easy to see the two of them sitting in the exact spot many years down the road. Elena with a huge smile on her face enjoying the moment, and him with his arm gently wrapped around her.

A smile graced Damon's lips as he opened his eyes. The way he felt when he was around Elena was surreal and unlike anything he had ever experienced before. Loving her was easy and despite all of their obstacles, it was right. He knew it with every inch of his being.

He kicked off the ground once more, but this time with much more force. As the wind rushed through his hair, Damon angrily wished he could stop fucking up long enough to make loving him in return just as easy.

* * *

Jenna's car pulled into the driveway and Elena's stomach did a somersault. There sitting on the porch was the first and last person she wanted to see, Damon. Jenna looked at her uneasily, but Elena nodded her head and reassured, "its ok. You can go inside. I'll be behind you in a few minutes."

Jenna accepted her response and replied, "Fine, but eventually you are going to need to spill about what's going on with you two. I'm not a moron, Elena, and I see everything."

Elena smiled, placed her hand on Jenna's arm and replied, "I know you're not and I will. I promise. I just need to figure out what's going on first."

They both exited the car. Jenna said good morning to Damon before she headed inside leaving Elena to face the beautiful monster in front of her. He sat on the porch swing with his hands together and an ashamed expression on his face. He didn't move to her like she was expecting. Instead he rubbed his hands together and awkwardly asked, "How are you feeling?"

Elena set her purse down and leaned against the porch ledge as she responded, "I've been better. I'm still a little weak, but the doctor said I was good to go. I just need to take it easy until my levels are back to normal."

Damon shook his head and lowered his gaze to the floor. It was apparent that he had things he wanted to say, but for the first time since Elena had met him, he didn't seem to have the courage to say them. Elena wasn't exactly sure what she wanted from him, but she needed him to say something. The awkward atmosphere was driving her crazy. They had taken on so much together, but honesty was apparently still one of their main downfalls.

"Why did you come here, Damon?" Elena questioned.

Damon remained silent for a few seconds before finally answering the question. "I left the house last night after I called you. The others kept asking me questions that I didn't want to answer. So much had happened that I didn't really want to recap or explain. They kept pushing the issues and I wanted to force them to leave, but didn't want to waste the energy. I know it was shitty, but I bolted. I just left them all there."

Damon shook his head in disbelief over his own actions before he continued. "I walked around for a while and I'm not going to lie, but I was hoping to find Tyler. When that didn't happen, I found myself here. I didn't know if they were even going to let you come home today, but I wanted to stay in case they did. I _needed_ to be here when you got home. I knew you were ok, but I needed to see it for myself."

The look on his face showed that he wasn't finished, but his lips tightened and he said nothing more.

Elena knew there was more behind his reasons for coming, but decided to point the conversation in a different direction first. "What happened to you? How are you alive?"

Damon twiddled his thumbs and answered, "I'm still not even sure. Someone came to me in the cellar and made me eat something. I have no idea who it was or what I ate, but it cured me."

Elena slowly sank to sit on the porch beside her purse. Mysteries had become a part of their everyday lives, but this one was a blessing. She looked up to stare at Damon only to notice his face didn't share the same grateful expression as hers.

"Why aren't you happy about this?" She asked.

Damon let out a snort and replied, "I guess I am, but whoever did this to me wants me to do something for them in return."

Elena stared at him with a confused expression. "How do you know that?"

Damon furrowed his brows and admitted, "They told me I would be needed in the future."

Frustration boiled under Elena's surface as she fought back every urge to scream at the vampire. He was being extremely vague and she couldn't help him if he didn't supply her with all of the details. She kept her cool and shot him a puzzled glance as she asked, "What aren't you telling me?"

Confusion spread across Damon's face as he lifted his hands in the air and answered defensively, "That's everything. I'm not sure what else you want to know. Someone helped me and wants my help in return. I have no idea who it was or what they want me to do, but I have no intention on following through. What they did was awfully nice, but fuck them."

Elena shook her head in disbelief. It was typical of Damon to feel no empathy towards the person who had saved his life. He didn't even know what they needed from him, and yet, he'd already decided against offering them his aid. He had reason to be concerned, but no need to be completely shut down towards the idea of helping someone.

"You don't need to get defensive, I was just asking." Elena muttered.

Damon said nothing in return although his face showed he wanted to. Instead he looked towards the ground and froze up.

After a break of silence, Elena figured it was the right time to tackle the big elephant in between them. She asked, "Why are you _really_ here Damon?"

He didn't remove his gaze from the floor as he responded, "I told you. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

Anger bubbled inside of Elena at the sight of his weakness. She wasn't sure what she wanted from Damon anymore, but she was damn sure she wanted an apology. It was visibly clear that Damon was ashamed of his actions. His face had given him away the second she had pulled in the driveway. But she needed to hear him admit it out loud. She wanted him to prove to her that she meant enough for him to try and win her back because even after he nearly killed her, she still loved him.

If there was one thing she had learned it was to never hold anything back from Damon. She was no longer going to refrain from telling him things because, frankly, they were past that. No more secrets. Instead of speaking up, she walked over to the swing and slapped Damon across the face. Although she put every bit of her strength behind it, she knew the slap felt like a light tap on his cheek. It didn't hurt him, but it created the effect she was looking for. At least he would understand how frustrated she was with him.

"I deserve that." Damon admitted keeping his focus on the cement below.

"Damn straight you do, but not for the reasons you think. Goddamnit, Damon." She shook her head at him and yelled, "Why are you _really_ here?"

Damon stood up and with a heated voice he yelled, "Because I had to come, Elena. I had to make sure you knew how sorry I was. I'm ashamed of the way I acted, alright? I had wolf venom in my system, but that's still no justification for what I did. I hunted you. I played you. I drank from you, and I nearly killed you. I'm not proud of what I did!" Damon was standing in front of her now. He was angry, of this she was sure, but he had no right to be.

She had been expecting a heartfelt apology, and although he had given her an apology, it was nothing like the one she had been expecting. She stared at him with determined eyes and stated, "You have no right getting a temper with me."

Damon's expression relaxed and Elena watched his thought process happen in front of her. She saw his expression change when he accepted the fact that he was being ridiculous, but she saw it change back into the familiar hard front as he replied, "Maybe you should have thought about that before you foolishly smacked me across the face."

Elena rolled her eyes and muttered, "You and I both know that had no effect on you, so don't pretend that's the reason behind it. Why are you acting this way? You're the one that fucked up here, not me."

Damon tensed at her words, but shook them off. He took a step towards her and angrily asked, "And you don't think I feel bad enough about it already?"

Elena took a step to match his. She wanted to show him she didn't fear him, but her instincts were screaming for her to back up. She ignored the feeling and with fearless eyes she screamed, "I'm not sure. You are showing me absolutely no remorse here. You tried to kill me, Damon, and I think that merits more of an apology than the one you just gave me."

* * *

Damon knew Elena was right. He was acting ridiculous and unfair towards her, but he was embarrassed. He had come to her house to make everything right. Then she had started in on her interrogation. He was tired of answering questions about his mysterious savior because his life wasn't nearly as important as hers. Everyone was so concerned with how he had survived and the only thing he was concerned about was making amends for his actions.

He had originally wanted to show Elena that he was genuinely sorry for what he had done, but at this point he wasn't sure if he could. He had somehow managed to dig himself into a hole and didn't know how to get himself back out. _So much for his plan on making it easier for her to love him back._

Damon sighed and released the tension from his face. He tried to rest his hand on her arm, but she pulled away before he made contact.

She shot him an unbelievable look and spat, "You do not get to touch me right now."

He sighed in understanding and took a seat on the swing. "I'm sorry, Elena. You're right and to be honest, I'm not sure why I got defensive. You haven't done anything wrong. "He paused to look up at her and as a weak smile played across his lips he admitted, "This was not how I wanted things to go today."

Elena stood perfectly still and Damon knew it was still his turn to speak. "What I did to you… what I put you through was unacceptable. Yes, I had forces beyond my control pushing me to do what I did, but I should have been stronger. I should have been able to resist the urges and I definitely shouldn't have toyed with you the way I did. I have no idea how you are able to stand this close to me after everything I put you through."

"Damon…" Elena tried to interrupt.

He held up his hand to silence her and said, "Just let me finish. You deserve a full apology. You and I both know I'm not very good at giving them, so please let me get it out before I ruin any chance I have of making this alright."

She closed her mouth and obliged. Damon rubbed his hands together as he admitted, "But all of the things I did to you don't even compare to me feeding on you. I've been around long enough to understand how painful it is to have a vampire drink from you without giving them your consent. Especially when that vampire has no intention of stopping until you are no longer alive."

Damon shuddered at the memory and continued, "When I woke up and realized what I had done, I had no idea whether you had survived or not. I thought I had killed you, Elena, and that was the worst feeling I have ever experienced… worse than the bite. You are the most important thing in my life and I nearly removed you from it. I am so sorry for everything."

He waited for what felt like an eternity before Elena replied, "Thank you for that." Her facial expression was blank and unreadable. A thousand negative thoughts ran through his head before her face relaxed and a smile spread across her lips. She teased, "That wasn't so hard was it?"

Damon felt the rush of relief surge through his body. He returned her smile before he confessed, "You have no idea how raw my inner battles have been over the past couple of hours. I hate not knowing what I'm up against and your possible reactions proved to be my biggest unknown. I was going crazy thinking that I had lost you, first physically until I found out that you had survived and then emotionally." He let out a relieved sigh before he announced, "Elena, I love you and I would do anything for you. It's destroying me inside thinking of everything I put you through."

Elena sighed and responded, "You really can be a dick. You know that?" Another genuine smile appeared on her face to show she was kidding as she continued, "I understand you had forces working against you. You tried to kill me, but I understand it wasn't really you. It's really hard sometimes, but I chose this life and I understand its consequences, so I forgive you. All I needed was a genuine apology."

He stood up and walked a few steps closer to her before his expression became very serious. "You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that. But I have to be honest with you… shit is _going_ to happen. I _am_ a vampire and we both fully understand what that brings to the table. But with that being said, I can swear to you that I will do everything physically possible to keep something like this from happening again."

Elena narrowed her eyes and asked, "So no more running around looking for Tyler Lockwood?"

Damon's faced hardened as he spoke through knitted brows, "That's not playing fair." Damon's face changed to resemble a begging puppy as he playfully pleaded, "Can I at least have a very civil conversation about my opinion of him while he is in human form?"

Elena giggled and responded, "As long as you are on your best behavior."

Damon smiled and said, "You really are the best girl ever and you're effect on me is impeccable. The citizens of this town really owe you a thank you gift."

He then reached his arm around Elena in an attempt to pull her into a kiss when she flinched and pulled away.

* * *

Everything was going great. Elena had no problem being so close to Damon and their issues had been resolved. She forgave him for everything he had done because she knew his apology had been genuine. Also, she knew deep down that Damon would never have chosen to act the way he had nor would he have chosen to kill her. She understood the circumstances and held no grudge against him. He loved her and she loved him. That was what mattered, not the tiny hiccups that tended to get in the way.

Then he touched her for the first time since the incident. As soon as his cold skin made contact with hers, a spark surged through her. It sent a sickening sensation to the pit of her stomach and all she wanted to do was run for her life. She saw a flash of the monster that had attacked her and flinched in response to get away from him.

Damon looked at her with stunned eyes and said, "I'm sorry, I thought everything was alright. Are we okay?"

Truth was… no, she wasn't okay. She was terrified this would happen and now that it had she wasn't sure how to tackle it. Her heart was perfectly fine, but her body was reacting impulsively at Damon's touch. Although she had forgiven him and buried the past, the side effects still remained.

Elena sighed and admitted, "You still scare me."

Concern flooded Damon's ocean blue eyes as he pleaded, "I'm so sorry, Elena. What can I do to fix this?"

She had no idea how they were going to fix it. Their relationship was fine, but what was a relationship without physical contact? A friendship, that's what, and she had no intention of settling for merely a friendship with Damon after everything they had been through. Too much had happened to get to them to this point and she wasn't about to lose everything because of a little fear.

She took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around Damon's neck pulling him into her. She smashed her lips against his as the sensation of his fangs piercing her neck consumed her. She quickly pulled away and flew back against the porch railing. She looked down at her shaking hands and whispered, "Fuck."

She could feel Damon's eyes on her, but she didn't know what to do or say. The overwhelming feeling of defeat weighed her down and she moved to take a seat on the swing. She couldn't look up to face Damon as she spoke, "I'm sorry. Evidently it's going to be harder to get past this than we thought."

Damon rolled his eyes and lightheartedly replied, "I knew it was going to be this hard. I was honestly shocked by how well you took my apology, so it's only natural we have another obstacle in our way."

Elena lifted her gaze and reasoned, "But if we we're meant to be together, there wouldn't be this many obstacles in our way. It's supposed to be easy."

Damon lowered himself in a crouch between Elena's legs and said, "It's only natural that you're afraid of me. I almost killed you and that's not something that your mind just forgets. But I've to come to know you like the back of my hand, Elena. You're strong, probably one of the strongest people I have ever met and that is why I don't just believe, but know that you're going to be able to get through this. I know with complete certainty that we'll be together in the future. We may not be tonight or tomorrow, or even the next day. But you'll come around."

Damon then lifted his face to gaze directly into her eyes and took Elena's hands in his. She flinched, but kept her hands in his. "As much as you don't believe or feel it right now, we're destined to be together. In some crazy way we complement each other perfectly and this is meant to happen. You ease my terrifying side and I bring out the fire in you. So when I leave today, it's not because I'm giving up on us. It's because I'm giving you the chance to realize everything I finally understand all on your own."

He released her hands and stood up. "You need time and that's what I'm willing to give you. You're it for me, Elena. You've got me so wrapped up inside that sometimes I almost feel human. I'm stubborn and have a tendency to act like an ass, but I'm right for you. I've put you through hell so you deserve all of the time you need."

Damon then leaned down and Elena closed her eyes in preparation for the reflex her body was sure to endure when his lips touched hers, but instead his lips landed on her forehead. As he placed his lips delicately on her skin, her body flinched for a second before returning to normal. Although the reaction wasn't ideal, it had been much more endurable than her previous reactions.

Elena felt her hair whirl around her face and she opened her eyes to find herself sitting alone on the porch. Her heart clenched at the idea of Damon getting away. They had been happy for a second and she wasn't prepared to go back to living without that feeling.

She knew he could hear her from miles away if she screamed loud enough. She lifted herself from the swing and called into the open air. "Damon!"

* * *

Damon had done the right thing, or at least that's what he was telling himself as he sped into the forest. The idea of Elena once again slipping just out of reach was ripping apart each of his organs, but he had messed up and he needed to face the consequences.

Her heart had forgiven him and that was the important thing. He just had to be patient and keep hope that the rest of her would follow suit. The shit he had put her through was intense and he couldn't blame her for fearing him. That was why he had put up a front before he left. Although honesty was important to her, so was strength and it would have accomplished nothing by wallowing before her. He needed to be strong and he needed to be patient. Things would work themselves out eventually. _They had to._

Damon's heart jump-started as he heard her wonderful voice call his name. Maybe obstacles we're easier to overcome than he had anticipated. He turned and bolted back for the house.

He appeared in less than a second and leaned against one of the columns on the porch. His signature smirk slid over his lips as he teased, "That didn't take very long."

Elena rolled her eyes and hesitated a second before she asked, "Will you be my date to the spring formal?"

Damon stared back at her in utter disbelief. He was sure the shock of being asked such a thing was represented all over his face, but he found it difficult to remove. Of all of the things he had expected her to say; that was easily the last. First off, to the normal observer, he appeared to be at least 5 years older than her and that could cause problems in a school environment. Second, she was having a difficult time with physical contact so that would make attending a dance together quite the tricky situation. And third, he hadn't been to a formal school dance since the 70s and he was sure things had changed since then.

Although he had attended many of Mystic Fall's festivities, he had always gone stag. He wasn't sure if this town was ready to see him dating a teenager, even if it was the mature Elena Gilbert.

He had no success removing the stunned expression from his face as he asked, "Excuse me?"

Elena giggled and asked again, "Would you please go with me to the spring formal this Friday?"

Although Damon had no problem with the idea of accompanying her to the dance, he was sure other members of the town would. He approached Elena very slowly and responded, "I don't think that's a great idea."

Sadness consumed Elena's face and Damon felt the need to explain. "Not that I don't want to, but Elena you need to think about how that would look." He sat next to her on the swing and continued, "To them I am going to seem like a cradle robbing creep. I'm way too old for you."

Elena rolled her eyes and muttered, "That's the understatement of the year, but I don't care what people say. The ones that matter know and Jenna already assumes something's up anyway. It was only a matter of time, before everyone else did." She turned to face him and stated, "My life lately has been taken over by your supernatural world and I desperately need some normalcy back in it."

Damon narrowed his eyes and asked, "And taking a vampire as your date counts as normal?"

Elena huffed and answered, "Well, no. But you get the point. I want to enjoy just one normal teenage experience before shit hits the fan again and I want you to be there when I do. Plus, I think it will be good for us."

She smiled with confidence as she reasoned, "It will force me to keep up constant physical contact with you and by the end of the night my body won't know how to react if it's not touching yours."

Damon smirked and responded, "I'm liking the sound of that."

Elena playfully slapped his thigh and looked directly into his eyes as she announced, "I want you to go with me and you owe me. So I am no longer asking, I'm demanding it."

The smile that gazed upon Damon was enough to make him do anything. He sighed in defeat and responded, "What time am I picking you up? And would you prefer a limo or a horse-drawn carriage?"

* * *

**So it appears our characters are both still crazy about each other. They are going to have a little bit of a hill to climb in order to get back to the way they were before, but what good love story has ever been complete without obstacles?**

**I couldn't resist the urge to write a fluffy romantic fairytale chapter, so I had to include the dance. I am about half way done and I am having a blast. Damon is perfectly charming and Elena is fighting through her urges to run as far away from him as possible. A lot is going to take place at the dance, so be ready for it. Damon confronts Tyler, Jenna informs Elena of her opinions regarding Damon, and a cliffhanger ending. I cannot wait for you all to read it, but first I need to finish.**

_**As always, comments are the greatest gift you can give me. :)**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Once again, thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read this story and especially the ones who have left comments. Your support rocks!**_

**This chapter is pretty much all fluff, which was super fun for me to write. It ended up being longer than any other chapter I have written so I hope you like it. There is a certain part that includes the song "Look After You" by the Fray. The parts don't match up exactly, but it's a nice background track for the scene. It's a somewhat popular song but if you haven't heard it; you can download it, youtube it, whatever. It's entirely up to you. :)**

**Enjoy my much needed fairytale chapter!**

* * *

"I get it. Young love and all of that, but he's just so scheezy." Jenna wrinkled her nose in disgust as she released the last strand of Elena's hair from the curling iron.

Elena had to laugh at her aunt's opinion of Damon. For the last hour they had discussed everything concerning her love life and although Elena knew the bad-boy vampire truly had a heart of gold, nearly everyone else did not. Jenna, for instance, had only seen the schmoozing playboy version of Damon who liked making scenes with half of the women in town. Elena also knew that her aunt had given him a second chance only because Alaric had seen enough in him to develop a friendship. But Jenna was making it completely crystal that the second chance did not mean she was alright with Elena dating him.

Elena stood up and gave herself the one-over in the mirror as she replied, "He's not that bad." She then turned to face her aunt and pleaded, "Please just make nice with him tonight. He makes me happy and shouldn't that be the most important thing?"

Jenna huffed and gave in. "Alright, but only because your glow is off the charts. If I see his hand move one inch over your ass I reserve the right to hit him."

Elena knew full well that given the opportunity, Jenna would not restrain from slapping Damon, but she also knew Damon had nothing to fear. He had been on his best behavior since their argument on the porch. They had both decided to keep their distance until this evening figuring separation would give Elena time to recoup and gain control of herself again.

That didn't mean they hadn't talked endlessly on the phone since that day and to Elena's surprise, Damon had been very receptive to their conversations. He had changed so much since the time they had first met and she couldn't ignore the growing desire to see him again. With each perfect conversation they shared, came a goodbye that left Elena eager for more.

Elena removed her dress from the closet and laid it on the bed as excitement pumped through her system. Their separation trial would finally be tested tonight and although she couldn't wait to get her hands on Damon, she feared their distance would yield no results. She momentarily pleaded with her body to cooperate so she could experience a perfect evening and many future evenings with the vampire she was dying to be with.

"How does Stefan feel about this?" Jenna asked interrupting Elena's inner struggle.

She let out a sigh and explained, "Stefan and I talked before he left about everything. He just wants what's best for me and if that happens to be Damon, then he's perfectly okay with that."

Desperate to change the subject, Elena asked, "Have you heard from Jeremy?"

Her aunt took a seat on the bed and answered, "He called while you were in the shower and said he just got to camp. I really think this whole art experience is going to be great for him. He's alone most of the time, so I thinking meeting other kids who share the same interests as him could transition into new friendships."

Elena also wished Jeremy's experience would result in new friends, but for a completely different reason than her aunt's. She knew full well that Jeremy was no longer the loner he used to be and had taken up a concrete part in her circle of mystical friends. Although she was alright with the supernatural world, she still wanted Jeremy to have no part in it.

Before Elena had time to respond, her cell phone rang. She glanced at the screen before a smile spread over her face. "Hey, Caroline."

"Have you changed your mind about riding with us in the limo? It's just Bonnie, Luka, Matt and his date, Tyler and me. It's a 14 passenger limo, so there is still tons of room for the two of you."

Elena knew Caroline wanted everyone to get along, but she didn't feel comfortable putting Damon that close to Tyler just yet. The boys still hadn't dealt with their issues and she knew all too well how Damon's temper got the best of him. Plus, if she was being honest, she wanted him all to herself for the evening. This was their perfect chance to get their relationship on the right track and Elena didn't want to risk anymore distractions.

She waited until Jenna had stood up and exited the room before she reasoned, "It sounds like fun, but I think we are going to skip out. I just don't feel comfortable confining Damon to the same vehicle as Tyler just yet."

"Yeah, I get it. I actually talked to him about what happened. He's pretty stubborn and is showing no remorse right now. I mean… Damon did kill his uncle so I see where he's coming from, but I hope the two of them can get past this. I've worked really hard on making this dance a success and if either one of them ruin it, I am going to freak out!"

Elena rolled her eyes knowing perfectly well her friend could not see her. It was so typical of Caroline to worry about the success of the dance instead of the state of their boyfriends. She had discussed the issue with Damon the other night and although he had promised to be on his best behavior, she couldn't ignore the fear in her gut telling her to be cautious. The vampire had a temper, and seeing the werewolf that had previously tried to kill him was going to be a true test. If Damon didn't keep his cool, she knew things were capable of getting out of hand very quickly.

She put up a front and lied, "Everything will be perfect, Caroline. Don't worry; Damon promised me he won't do anything."

She heard Caroline's relieved sigh on the other end of the phone. "Okay, but I'm trusting him and I'm trusting you to control him if something _does_ happen."

Elena once again rolled her eyes and replied, "Stop worrying and finish getting ready. I'll see you in a few hours. Just remember, tonight is going to be great!" With that she hung up the phone and picked her dress off of the bed.

* * *

Damon pulled his car into park in front of Elena's house. It had been merely 5 days since they had last seen each other and yet, it had felt like an eternity. Every inch of his body felt like it was on vibrate from the anxiety coursing through his system. They had spoken on the phone numerous times since their last encounter, but hearing someone's voice and seeing them, touching them, kissing them; those were completely different experiences.

He had agreed to their separation trial in hopes of making it easier on Elena. This did not necessarily mean it had been easier on him. He now knew her feelings towards him and the idea of spending another day without being next to her made his inside clench up. When they were alone, Damon had never felt more at home and tonight he would show her just how perfect of a gentleman he was capable of being in hopes of erasing the monstrous image of himself from Elena's memory forever.

He looked at the gift he had personally picked out to give his girl and smirked with full certainty that she was going to love it. He then grabbed the royal blue corsage sitting next to her gift and stepped out of the mustang.

He knocked on the door only to have it answered seconds after making contact. Jenna stood in the doorway with a less than enthusiastic expression on her face.

"Evening Damon," she muttered as she moved allowing him to take a step inside.

"Good evening, Jenna." He returned as politely as possible. He then smiled and stated, "I heard you and Ric will be joining us tonight."

Jenna closed the door and replied, "Yep, we'll be chaperoning - so no funny business."

She stared him down with the fiercely intense eyes of a mother panther, and Damon knew if he had been a teenage boy or simply a human he would have been intimidated. But he was neither and the effect only made him chuckle on the inside.

Before he had the opportunity to respond to Jenna's statement, Elena walked down the stairs and his breath caught in his throat. It was no surprise that she looked beautiful, to him she could be covered in mud and still be the most stunning girl he had ever seen. But tonight, she wasn't just beautiful, she was radiant.

Her dress was a slim-cut, A-line gown that came just above her angles and it accentuated every bit of her delicate curves. The fabric hung lightly over her skin and the image made Damon weak in the knees. Her hair had been curled and arranged loosely around her lovely face, and although the curls made her resemble Katherine, she far outshined the vamp.

As he gawked in amazement over the fact that _she_ was _his_, Elena smiled and lit up the entire room. She descended the few remaining stairs to stand in front of him. Damon smiled in return before lowering himself into a bow. He looked up into her bright eyes and announced, "You never cease to amaze me. Somehow you have managed to become even more gorgeous than normal."

Elena's cheeks flooded red as a nervous giggle escaped her lips. "Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself, Mr. Salvatore."

Damon noticed Jenna's eye roll from the corner of his vision, but simply ignored it. Tonight was about him and Elena and no one else mattered.

He held up the corsage and placed it delicately onto her wrist. He then offered Elena his arm, causing it to form the shape of a triangle, and asked, "You ready to go?"

She laced her arm in his and he couldn't help but ping with pleasure at her lack of physical reflex as Elena's arm rested against his. He smiled in content before grabbing the door handle and leading her outside.

Jenna grabbed his shoulder before he was able to take a single step through the doorway causing Elena's arm to slip out of his. She whispered into his ear, "If you hurt her, I will hunt you down."

Funny, Damon often found himself repeating practically those same words to Elena's enemies. His date was no stranger to danger, but for once in a very long time, Damon knew they had nothing to fear this evening. So instead of muttering another one of his typical sarcastic remarks, he blinked his eyes and whispered back earnestly, "You have nothing to worry about, I would never hurt Elena."

Jenna pointed at her eyes, then to Damon's and declared, "I _will_ be watching you."

Damon chuckled and replied, "There was no doubt in my mind that you would be. We'll see you at the dance."

Jenna softened her face and filled it with faux-joy as she peppily announced, "I'll see you guys in a bit." She then loudly slammed the door behind them.

* * *

"She just needs some time." Elena reasoned. She knew Jenna would come around once she saw how caring Damon truly was, but she still felt the need to reassure him.

Damon looked into her eyes and replied, "I understand. I haven't always been the epitome of a decent guy, but I'll just have to prove how wrong her opinion is of me." He then wiggled his brows at the challenge.

Elena let out a genuine laugh before noticing their transportation for the evening. She announced in feigned surprise, "We're taking the Mustang. I thought I requested a horse-drawn carriage?"

He opened the car door to reveal a gift sitting on her seat. She took a seat and placed it on her lap only to find Damon already sitting next to her. He said, "I figured the carriage would have been a bit over the top…" He then stared at her seductively through heavy lids as he joked, "And besides, the Mustang provides a much better rendezvous spot if you find it difficult to resist my charm throughout the evening."

The idea of mounting Damon in the back seat of his Mustang sent a wave of desire through her core, but it also made her nervous. She wanted to experience that act again with Damon, but she wasn't sure if she was ready to do so tonight.

Evidently her uneasiness was transparent because Damon reassured, "I'm only joking, Elena. We are going to take this as slow as you want. I've waited 146 years for you, so what's another few?"

He was always so damn cooperative with her and Elena couldn't help but feel guilty for making him wait around. Instead of speaking her thoughts out loud, she lifted the present from her lap and decided to change the subject. She eyed him suspiciously and asked, "What is it?"

Damon rolled his eyes and responded, "I don't know. Maybe you should open it and find out."

She giggled and opened the sparkling bag to reveal a turquoise box. She then removed the bow and opened the box to find a large sapphire pendant necklace. Elena couldn't fight the smile that found its way across her lips as she stared at the beautiful necklace in her hands.

"I know I promised to keep my distance, but I snuck into your room a few nights back and took at peek at the dress you were going to wear tonight." Damon confessed.

Elena painfully removed her eyes from the pendant to gaze longingly into the vampire's. In a light breath she whispered, "It's gorgeous, thank you."

"Then it will accent _your _gorgeous features perfectly," Damon replied.

She removed her vervain necklace and set it into the cup holder as Damon latched his necklace around her neck. His fingers swept gently across the delicate portions of her neck and instead of feeling the need to bolt from the car, she wanted to move closer. Once Damon had clasped the necklace in place, she turned to gaze directly into his eyes. It was time to test how successfully their separation idea had panned out. She took a deep breath in preparation and was about to lean forward when Damon picked her vervain necklace out of the cup holder. His eyes were flooded with disappointment when they looked up to meet hers.

He then took the necklace and wrapped it twice so it fit perfectly around her wrist. "You know better than to take this off."

Elena rolled her eyes and stated, "I'm going to be with you all night, so I really doubt I have anything to worry about. I trust you."

Damon furrowed his brows and said, "We are going to completely disregard what happened the last time you spoke those words to me." A shudder went through his body as he continued, "It doesn't matter who you're with, it's important that necklace always stays on. I don't want to worry about others compelling you, or even the temptation of me compelling you." He looked to the floor of the mustang in shame.

Elena placed her hand underneath of Damon's chin and lifted his face to meet hers. She smiled and said, "I'll leave it on if it makes you feel better." She then waved her wrist in the air and eyed the vervain necklace. "I like yours better."

Damon couldn't help but laugh at her statement. Of course his was better; he had personally picked it out. "That's because picking out jewelry for the woman I love is one of those many specialties we talked about before."

Elena groaned and laughed before she begged, "Please never bring that drunken embarrassing night up again."

The vampire leaned into her and teased, "I can't promise anything." He then slowly brought his lips to hers, but before they had the chance to make contact, Elena pulled away and said, "I'm not there yet."

She wanted to kiss him, she really did, but when she felt his icy cool breath against her lips the terrifying memories of their past fluttered across her vision.

Damon couldn't hide the disappointment from his expression when she explained, "It's a work in progress. We'll get there."

She felt terrible once again for making him wait, but there was nothing she could do. Besides, had he really expected her to get over all of her fears in one week? That would have been absurd and quite frankly, a miracle. She silently begged that he understood she was just as disappointed as he was.

To her relief, he sighed and looked directly into her chocolate eyes and coaxed, "Take all the time you need."

To show him how much her reflexes had improved in 5 days, she took his hand in hers and rested them on her lap as she reassured, "I'm hoping all I need is one or two dances with you."

A smile spread across Damon's lips as he started the car and pulled away from the curb.

* * *

Damon felt Elena's hand tighten around his as he led her into the gymnasium of the high school. The room had been completely reinvented for the evening to resemble the inside of a castle. Where bleachers once stood, were now Styrofoam towers painted to appear as columns. The walls had been covered in stone-painted paper and fake vines had been draped throughout the room. The twinkling lights dispersed magically throughout the room completed the image and set it appropriately with an enchanted feel.

Damon couldn't help but consider the theme outdated, but Caroline had brought it to life. The gymnasium was perfect, but he knew none of this mattered to Elena at the moment. He could easily see the gawks and hear the low whispers from Elena's fellow classmates and it was obvious she sensed them as well.

He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and lowered his face to whisper into her ear. "We knew this was going to happen, but don't worry about it." He then swept her onto the dance floor and whipped her into a spin before bringing her body back into his. With an adoring expression plastered firmly across his face he said, "They're all just jealous I got to be your escort for the night."

Elena wrapped her arm around Damon's waist as she teased, "You are pretty lucky aren't you?"

Damon then lowered her into a supportive dip and admittedly slowly, "Extremely." Their faces were only inches apart and he was finding it incredibly difficult to resist kissing her, but he knew physical contact to that extent was her decision. The static was begging for his lips to lower onto hers, when he lifted her back into an upright position.

His past actions had repercussions and Damon knew he had to deal with them. Where some men would have grown impatient, he simply held strong. Elena had been gracious enough to forgive him, so he had to be gracious enough to give her the time she needed to deal with the aftermath that followed. He didn't care if it took her years to overcome her inner turmoil; she was worth every bit of the agonizing wait.

They continued to spin divinely around the gym floor until the song switched tempo into an upbeat mix. Elena laughed and pushed against Damon's chest before releasing what appeared to be the most horrendously entertaining dance move he had ever seen. Damon couldn't fight the laugh that escaped as he watched her arms flow around her body causing her to resemble a flailing octopus.

She then pulled on his tie, forcing him to close the gap between them, and began shaking her hips to the beat. Her eyes looked fiercely into his as she joked, "Now that was just a little something I came up with when I was 12. I guess you could call that move one of _my_ specialties."

A low chuckle escaped from Damon's lips as he replied, "I'm not sure if specialty is the correct description for what you just did; although, the word special does come to mind."

Elena exaggerated an offended expression before she threw her head back and laughed in response to his chastising remark. "You haven't seen anything yet." She then lowered herself to the floor and rhythmically thrusted her body to the beat before twirling around and grinding her butt against his front lower section. The feeling from her contact made Damon's attempts at resisting to kiss her even more difficult.

Realizing he couldn't handle the arousing sensation anymore, he spun her around and declared, "Honey, I have nearly 130 years of experience on you. Your moves are great and all, but they have nothing on mine."

An opposing look masked her face as she asked, "Is that so?"

"Oh yeah. I saw Stefan break down a few moves for you at the last decade dance and if you were impressed by that shitastic performance, then I'll have you worshipping the ground I walk on by the time I'm through." Damon's signature smirk slashed across his face at his own confidence.

Elena smiled and crossed her arms before she challenged, "Fine then. Show me."

Damon quickly brought his face millimeters from hers and, accepting her challenge, he responded, "I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

Elena couldn't help the excitement pumping through her bloodstream. It had been a long time since she had seen Damon this relaxed and to her surprise, he seemed to be having a great time. His lighthearted way of teasing her was exactly what she needed and she couldn't wait to see what moves he was about to more-than-likely break out of the time closet.

Damon walked to the DJ stand and shared a quick conversation with the DJ before returning in front of Elena. The previous song stopped and everything became silent. He then blew her a cocky kiss before composing himself for the start of the next song.

The 1980s beats of Thriller blasted from the sound system and Elena couldn't help the giggles that escaped through her slightly shocked reserve. Damon returned a smile her way as his hips started to shake back and forth. Before she knew it, his hands were above his head and he was performing flawlessly the same dance many others had before him. But unlike every other recreated version of the dance she had seen, this one was better than the original. Damon executed Michael Jackson's moves perfectly, maybe even better than the pop icon himself.

She took a look at the small circle that had gathered around Damon and noticed the other members of her life that were important. Caroline, Tyler, Bonnie, Luka, Matt, and a very southern looking brunette were standing at the far edge of the circle. Caroline had her hands crossed over her chest and although it was obvious she was trying to appear disinterested in Damon's form of entertainment, the tap of her foot and slight bob of her head were giving her away.

Elena then rested her eyes on Alaric and Jenna who were standing only feet from the others. Ric had an impressed look on his face, while Jenna merely glared at Damon. Elena giggled knowing Jenna would fall under the spell of Damon's charm soon enough. It was impossible to resist him and her aunt couldn't hate him forever.

She then let her eyes roam around Damon's audience and shook her head in disbelief. It was so typical of Damon to gain the attention of everyone in the room, but not so typical for his attention to remain focused on only her. Elena's eyes glowed as she watched him execute another move flawlessly and felt the overwhelming need to show the bystanders he was hers.

Before she had time to reconsider her decision, she ran and threw herself at him. He caught her with ease as she brought her lips smashing down on his. It was probably the stupidest decision she could have made considering her bodies previous reactions to this particular touch and the vast section of bystanders, but as the horrifying image of Damon's inner monster fought to regain the front of her memory, she pushed it back down.

For a moment Elena drifted from the gymnasium and into her own world that included just her and her vampire boyfriend. The people gawking at their public display of affection vanished leaving only them and their intimate embrace. The moment was perfect, the evening was perfect, and Elena wished it never had to end.

Damon slowly removed the edges of his lips from hers to reveal an astounded expression on his face. In typical Damon fashion, he smirked and teased, "I guess that count's as two songs, but I didn't even get to show you my moonwalk."

A smile spread across Elena's lips as she responded, "I'm sure it's fantastic. Now shut up and kiss me again."

* * *

The relief of Elena's lips pushed perfectly against his was all Damon needed as confirmation that she was over her fear. Now that they had overcome their last obstacle, Damon mentally swore to never put Elena in a position like that again. She had fought through every piece of debris he had thrown her way and he vowed to prove to her until the day her heart stopped beating that the decision to fight for them had been the correct one.

The hypnotic beats of Thriller faded from the speakers as the slower rhythm of The Fray's - _Look After You_ started in. Damon painfully pulled his lips from Elena's and flew her out into a twirl. Her face resembled one with stunning affection as she smiled and twirled back in, landing perfectly against his chest. She wrapped her arm around the back of his neck and placed her right hand into his. Damon laced his arm around her waist and began swaying her back and forth in time with the song.

The happiness that radiated from Elena's dazzled expression was contagious and Damon found himself grinning like school boy. Seeing her _this_ happy and knowing he was the reason behind it, filled Damon with more joy than he thought was possible. He never dreamed that after the life he had led that he would be rewarded in such a glorious way. Life didn't seem fair, but for once, he found himself among the luckies who truly had everything.

Elena must have noticed his momentary mental absence because she traced the edges of his jawline with her fingertips and started to sing along with the track in order to regain his attention. "So few come and don't go; will you want to be the one I'll always know? When I'm losing my control, the city spins around. You're the only one who knows, you slow it down…"

Damon wasn't sure if it was her melodic voice or the way the lyrics matched perfectly with their lives, but once again he found himself smiling from ear to ear.

Elena returned his awed gesture and continued to sing, "Be my baby, I look after you…."

"You don't have to ask me twice." Damon halfheartedly joked.

Elena rolled her eyes and giggled before she sighed and admitted, "I love this song."

"I love you," Damon replied with pure adoration.

Her face flushed red in excitement before she smiled and once again brought her lips to meet his.

"Ahem." Someone interrupted.

Damon removed himself from the lover's embrace as the two turned to see Caroline and Bonnie.

"Evening ladies," Damon cooed. His eyes narrowed a bit as he focused his attention on Caroline and asked, "Where's your date?"

The female vamp rolled her eyes and responded, "Give it a rest, Damon. Tonight is about fun and from what I am seeing; the two of you are having loads of it." He noticed the way Caroline's face lit up as she spoke her observation. He internally admitted to himself that Caroline was a genuine friend of Elena's. Damon felt a twinge of guilt considering how he treated her the night of his almost death, but he made no motion to ease the feeling.

Elena laced her arm around Damon's back, pulling him against the side of her body, and as a huge grin plastered itself across her face, she admitted, "We are."

Damon looked down adoringly at Elena hoping to catch her eye, but Bonnie interrupted stealing her attention. "I wish you guys would have ridden with us in the limo, but I understand why you didn't. Have you seen Matt's date?"

Elena's eye went wide as she gushed, "I have! Does she go to school with us because I haven't seen her around before?"

Bonnie shook her head and answered, "No, she goes to Constantine. Matt met her…"

Caroline started wiggling her hips and interrupted before Bonnie had time to continue. "I still have to pee; can we continue this conversation in the girl's room?" She then started off into the direction of the lavatories.

As Bonnie followed, Elena took the moment to gaze at Damon and asked, "Will you be alright for a few minutes while I have girl time?"

Damon leaned down and lightly placed a kiss on her forehead. "Of course, I promise not to get too rowdy without you." His head then cocked to the side as he asked, "What is it with bathrooms and their ability to get girls to spill their guts to each other?"

Elena giggled as she pulled him down to meet her face. "Bathrooms are the one public place where we can get privacy from boys." She stopped and tapped his nose with her index finger. "Well, human boys."

She then turned and headed for the restroom, but not quick enough to escape his playful tap on her butt. As a result of the contact, she began sashaying her remaining way to the bathroom only to turn and seductively wink in his direction, before heading through the door marked "women."

Damon let out a low laugh and relished in how successful their night had been thus far, but the satisfying moment did not last long. From the corner of his eye, he spotted an infuriated Jenna moving briskly towards him. He quickly scanned the crowd for a momentary conversational substitute when his eyes landed on Tyler. He was leaning against the back wall of the gymnasium looking bored, and how convenient, he was by himself.

A satisfied grin slid over Damon's lips as he headed towards the werewolf. Tyler noticed him and his expression turned from boredom to worried to livid in a matter of a seconds.

Damon casually leaned his body against the wall next to Tyler's and said coolly, "Hey buddy."

Tyler narrowed his eyes and spat, "I am not your buddy."

"That couldn't be more true, but there is still one little issue we need to discuss. You know, the whole attempting to kill me thing." Damon fought hard to keep his cool, but he couldn't disguise the intensity radiating from his eyes.

Tyler crossed his arms over his chest and defiantly brought his face in front of Damon's. "Fine, but not here."

Damon couldn't help the roll that played over his eyes as he taunted, "Need to wait a few days until the next full moon?" He then relaxed his body once again and continued nonchalantly, "I just wanted a civil conversation, but if you can't offer me that…"

"Outside!" Tyler spat as speckles of moisture landed over Damon's face.

The werewolf was pushing his patience and although he had promised Elena he wouldn't get into with Tyler at the dance, he couldn't resist the need to put the annoying animal in his place.

He followed Tyler through the back door and into the bitter night air. Damon had just let the door shut behind him, when Tyler spun around and jabbed a knife into his upper left chest. The knife stung like a bitch, but didn't have the effect Tyler was obviously expecting.

"You need a wooden stake to kill a vampire you dumbass. Haven't you read up on anything?" Damon asked?

Damon released a frustrated sigh and removed the metal from his chest, tossing it onto the ground. He lifted his clothes to reveal the healing wound to Tyler, causing the werewolf's face to transition into one filled with bewilderment.

Damon rolled his eyes as he lowered his clothes back over his bare chest. The knife had just managed to miss his tuxedo jacket, but not his shirt and vest. Tyler had been just an annoying buzzing bee up until that point, but now he had managed to royally piss Damon off. Displeasure was etched all over his face as he whined, "Dick move, dude. This outfit is Armani and the shirt alone probably cost more than your entire getup."

He then flashed and wrapped his hand around Tyler's neck forcing him against the brick wall as he spat, "Let's get one thing straight. You are only alive because I haven't wasted the energy on killing you yet. If I wanted to, I could rip your spine through your ass in one motion. You got the one-up on me once, but let me be crystal clear… you have one day out of the month that you are a threat to me, whereas I am a threat to you every remaining day. So it would be in your best interest not to fuck with me, because the next time you do…" He moved his face next to Tyler's and whispered slowly into his ear, "I will not hesitate to rip you apart."

Tyler struggled against Damon's hold only to come up unsuccessful. Damon brought his face back to stare intensely into Tyler's eyes and with his hands still clenched firmly around the werewolf's neck, he asked, "Are we clear?"

Tyler had stopped trying to break free. His face revealed his surrender as he reasoned, "You killed my uncle."

Damon had taken a lot of lives throughout his time and many of them he regretted, but Mason was one of the select few kills that he did not. The werewolf had tried to sell him out and kill him first, so he only got what was coming to him. Plus, he had included Stefan which was a definite wrong move. It had been a battle for survival and Damon had succeeded in coming out the winner, but he knew better than to admit this to Tyler.

He released the tension from his face and lied through his teeth, "I'm sorry for killing your uncle. He and I had…" Damon looked to the ground searching for the appropriate word before finally settling on, "… issues."

"You killed Mason because you two had unresolved issues?" Tyler asked through a stunned appearance.

Damon was about to explain further when Elena's pleading voice from inside caught his attention. "Just leave them. You can have me," she begged.

Damon released his hold on Tyler, causing the werewolf to fall to the asphalt. He started for the door when Tyler tackled him to the ground. "We're not finished, yet," Tyler screamed. Damon threw his body into the brick wall and flashed to the door when it burst open.

A colored man wearing glasses appeared with his arm around Elena and a knife pressed firmly against her throat. "Take one step closer and she dies." He threated.

* * *

**I really love writing angry Damon. He's just so sexy when he's all flustered and threatening. For those of you who feel the same way, I heard this side of Damon is returning to the show! :)**

**I haven't even begun to write the next chapter so it could be a little while in between postings. Things with work and general life have been sort of crazy and I haven't had as much time as I would typically like to write, but I promise to try and make time soon.**

_**Comments motivate the heck out of my typing fingers... just saying. )**_


	18. Chapter 18

**This chapter picks up exactly where the last one left off. I must warn you, it's a little different than my others. The end of my story is quickly approaching and in order for my happy ending to be a possibility, I had to address the main conflict of the show. A backstory is included in this chapter and it is signified by italic type. Please bear with the story because it is important and absolutely necessary to explain why Damon does what he does in a future chapter.**

**There is a lot of history in this one and I'm sorry for throwing it all at you at once instead of dispersing it gradually amongst other chapters. If you have any questions or don't fully understand the background I created, please feel free to ask because if you are confused, it more than likely means you're not the only one.**

_**Now that all of that is out of the way, enjoy the chapter!**_

* * *

Elena recognized the anger making its way across Damon's features and knew his next action even before he did. The recognition caused her to call out in protest, "Don't!"

He shot her a puzzled look before ignoring her request and lowering into a crouch, ready to attack.

"I'll be fine, Damon. Don't do anything stupid." Elena reasoned.

When the man had magically slammed the door of the woman's bathroom open, Caroline and Elena both found themselves in a state of shock, but Bonnie's expression appeared to be indifferent. It was obvious she was just as surprised by a man barging into the ladies room, but there was a twinge of recognition in her eye. Bonnie definitely knew the man, and given his magical capabilities, Elena immediately came to the conclusion that this man could only be…

"Dad?" Luka questioned while barging through the door followed closely by Bonnie and a shaken Caroline.

Jonas shot a glance towards his son and announced, "It's time. Elijah is ready."

So these had been the witches Elijah had on his side. Frustration bubbled under Elena's surface at her own ignorance. How could she not have seen it?

Understanding spread across Luka's previously flustered state as he replied with a simple, "Ok."

Damon was apparently not alright with the situation, but instead of verbalizing his opinion, he took action. Elena watched as he launched himself through the air at Jonas before crumbling to the hard asphalt inches before them.

Seeing the man she loved crippled over in pain sent a bolt of hatred through Elena. She pushed harshly against Jonas' face causing him to lose eye contact with Damon and punched the man in the nose. At a previous time, she would have been willing to offer herself over to Elijah as bait to kill Klaus, but she had too much to live for now. There was no way in hell Damon was going to let anything happen to her without interfering and the idea of him losing his life to save her sent a wave of panic crushing against her chest. The feeling was more than she could bare and Elena mentally admitted that she would fight until her death to relieve Damon from being her savior.

The loss of eye contact was all Damon needed to remove himself from the ground and attack for a second time, but before he made contact with Jonas, he smashed to the ground crippled in pain yet again.

By this time, Jonas had managed to get a better grasp on Elena and successfully repositioned the knife against her throat. While he rubbed his sensitive nose, Elena took the time to examine the state of her best friends through panicked breaths. Caroline had successfully made her over to Tyler, but they both stood frozen like statues as they watched the scene unfolding in front of them.

Bonnie, on the other hand, had her eyes transfixed on Damon. The glassy glaze made them similar to Luka's whose were focused on Caroline and Tyler. Betrayal had never felt worse than it did in this moment. She understood the importance behind witch loyalty, but this was taking it a step too far. Her best friend in the entire world was assisting in her possible demise and she didn't try to hold back the hurt as she screamed, "I can't believe it; you of all people!"

Bonnie never removed her eyes from Damon, but they faltered a bit as the effect of Elena's words hit here. She replied, "If you two would just calm down and listen, then you would understand that Luka and his dad are here to help you."

"I'm finding that incredibly difficult to believe with you hurting him!" Elena spat as she threw her eyes on Damon.

Bonnie softened her face and as she did Damon's tension eased. He remained on the ground, but the pain radiating from his facial expression disappeared leaving the surface of his face unreadable.

Elena watched intently for any sign of movement from her beloved vampire, but besides the quick darts of his eyes, he remained motionless on the ground. He appeared to be under the same spell confining Caroline and Tyler.

"He's alive and under no pain, but I'm controlling his actions right now. I'm sorry, Elena, but I need him to be quiet long enough for you to listen." Bonnie explained.

Suddenly, the pressure of the knife dissipated as Jonas removed his hold on Elena. She instinctively ran to Damon's side and lifted his motionless body into a comforting embrace. Only his eyes shifted to meet hers, and she knew him well enough to understand the message he was giving her. He was pissed and even under the control of another, he was still trying to fight. His eyes screamed the protection he so desperately wanted to offer, but it was useless. Under this state, he would never be able to offer her the protection she needed.

The last emotion she saw flash across Damon's eyes was helplessness as Elena painfully removed her stare from his to glare towards Bonnie. In response the witch announced, "He can still hear everything we say." _As if that made up for anything._

She couldn't fight the urge to kiss Damon's forehead. Although he was under no pain, she knew it had to be weighing terribly on his conscious that he couldn't defend her and she wanted to assure him that everything was going to be alright; even if she didn't fully believe it. She gently lowered her lips to meet the cool skin of his forehead and tenderly placed a kiss in the spot. She then narrowed her eyes and with daggers in them she ordered, "Explain."

Jonas was the one who stepped forward and spoke, "I've been under Elijah's control because he killed my wife and threatened to do the same to Luka if I did not follow his commands and execute the spells he needed me to. Luka and I have been slaves under Elijah's power for too long and we are finally ready to take a stand, but we need your help."

"And why would I help you?" Elena heatedly asked.

Jonas sighed and lowered his eyes to gaze upon Damon before admitting, "Because my son saved his life."

Elena fought to hide the shock from her face, but failed. It was no secret now that she owed them. What Luka did for Damon was more than she could have ever asked and any reservation she had against them diminished as she heard the truth. They had saved the one person that meant everything to her and she would forever be in their debt, but she still needed to know how it was possible.

"How did he do it?" Elena questioned.

Jonas' expression hardened as he stated, "It's a secret that has been passed down through our bloodline and I see no need to share it with you."

Elena did not like his resistance to her simple question. So she replied, "If you expect my help, we are going to have to cooperate with one another. And in order for me to work with you I am going to need to trust you. So either you spill on how you saved him, or I refuse to help you in any way."

"I'm sorry, but I can only reveal that information to one of my own. Please believe me when I say it is not because I do not trust you with the secret, but more of a loyalty to my family. That being said, my son was the one who saved your vampire because we need both of your help to defeat Elijah and save your life." His face relaxed as he continued, "You see, it's not just us that needs you, but you that also needs us."

Elena wasn't a fool and knew the man had to be lying through his teeth. She challenged, "And what exactly do I need from you?"

"Information," Jonas stated. He took a step forward as a sly grin slid across his lips. "Aren't you the least bit curious why Elijah would have picked my family to do his dirty work?"

Of course she was curious, but she wasn't going to admit that to him. Instead she kept her cool reserve and remained silent.

Although she had successfully kept up her front, Jonas read through it. "It's because our ancestor is the one who created the Sun and the Moon Curse." The expression his face wore as he spoke the sentence was one of complete success and it was clear he knew he had Elena right where he wanted her.

Surprise escaped Elena's composed exterior, but before she had a chance to speak, Jonas continued. "Now you understand. We know the counter spell that breaks the curse and offers freedom to both sides of the supernatural world. This was why Elijah sought us out. You see… he has no intention of killing Klaus because once it becomes common knowledge that he was the one who successfully removed the restraining bind, the others would grovel at his feet and rejoice in his honor anyway. He would easily become one of the most powerful vampires and have no need to kill Klaus."

Everything the man was saying was fitting into the empty pieces of the puzzle perfectly, but there was still one question that begged to be asked. "Why did he have to wait so long to dismantle the spell?"

"Because he needed to find the other stone." Jonas spoke the line so matter-of-factly that it made Elena feel like an idiot for not knowing. "The moon stone only ties the werewolves' power to the full moon, but the day stone is what controls the ability for vampires to walk amongst the sun. It is a common misconception that only the moonstone is needed to break the curse and this misconception has helped us keep our secret and the spell intact for so long."

Jonas was answering every question she shot at him, so she figured it wouldn't hurt to ask another. "How did Elijah learn of the second stone?"

She had finally managed to ask a question that he wasn't expecting, but yet again, he answered it with ease. "This I am not sure of, but what matters is that _he does_ and he plans on sacrificing you and your friends this evening in order to break the spell."

"Me _and_ my friends?" Elena couldn't ignore the slight panic that slid its way down into her stomach.

Jonas nodded and pointed his finger appropriately as he explained, "You, your werewolf, and your vampire boyfriend."

Elena fought back the tears as the reality of the situation slapped against her gut. Not only would she die, but so would Tyler and, most importantly, Damon.

Jonas must have noticed the beginning of her breakdown because he reasoned, "But this was why I said you would need our help as well. There is another spell Elijah does not know about."

"Another spell?" was all Elena could muster up.

"Yes and this one requires no sacrifice of life," replied Jonas. Before he had time to continue, his cell phone rang. He was on the phone for barely a few seconds before he hung up. He motioned towards Luka and then back to Elena as he announced, "It's time to go. You, your female vampire, and your werewolf are riding with me. But to ensure our safety, Damon is riding with Luka."

Elena's grip tightened around Damon as she resisted, "No. He stays with me."

Jonas moved closer to Elena and lowered himself down into a crouch making himself appear less threatening. "I promise he will be safe, but in order to ensure my son and my safety, I need to keep Damon away from you. He is going to need time to process the information we give him and he can't do that with you around." He then brought his face inches from Damon's and threatened, "If you hurt my son, I will offer her up to Elijah without thinking twice."

Damon's eyes narrowed and it was obvious that if possible, he would have ripped Jonas' heart out right then and there. But his movements were still being controlled and his body still remained motionless in Elena's embrace.

Without another word, Jonas grabbed Elena's arm and heaved her off of the ground causing Damon's body to smack into the pavement below. Elena threw her arms against Jonas' chest in an attempt to break free of his hold, but it had no effect. As Jonas dragged her towards the car and farther away from Damon, he attempted a second shot at reasoning with her. "I promise he will be safe. If you'll just cooperate I can finish explaining everything on the way."

Elena had no intention of cooperating without Damon by her side. She fought with every bit of her strength against Jonas until he slammed her against the car. He had her face smashed roughly against the sleek blue paint as she noticed Tyler and Caroline approaching the vehicle. Their bodies were moving, but it was apparent that they were still under magical control. They resembled zombies as they opened the car doors. Caroline took her place in the passenger seat of the machine as Tyler lowered himself into the back.

Jonas then threw Elena into the back seat causing her to topple over Tyler and slammed the door behind her. She pushed herself from Tyler's body and yanked at the door handle only to find it remained locked. She mentally reasoned that there must have been child safety locks installed in the car. She then turned to notice the bars separating the front from the back of the vehicle. The interior of the car resembled one of a police officer's and Elena panicked finally realizing she was trapped.

Not willing to give up so easily, Elena threw her fist into the window, but her hand bounced off of the glass and she only succeeded in causing herself more damage than the window. She gripped her aching fist as Jonas took his spot in the driver's seat. Without another word, he started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot as Elena screamed for her release.

* * *

Damon listened painfully as Elena's screams continues to move further away. At the sound of her cries, he attempted to move his body once again, but Bonnie had removed his free will and he was merely a puppet moving under her command.

He wasn't used to feeling helpless and the sensation made him sick to his stomach. As he fought against the magical hold over his body, he pictured Elena. She was his strength and if anything was going to help him break this hold, it was her immediate danger.

But even that wasn't enough. Damon remained motionless on the ground as Elena let out another panicked screech. He needed to get to her, but there was nothing he could do. Anger boiled under his skin, when finally his body lifted itself from the ground. He felt incredibly vulnerable as his body led him to another car positioned behind the one now holding Elena captive.

He wanted to fight, he wanted to scream; he wanted to kill, but instead he silently lowered himself into the back seat of the vehicle. He heard Bonnie and Luka's voices, but paid them no mind; Elena's screams were all he could focus on. The couple shared a quick conversation before lowering themselves into the front of the car. Luka stuck his key into the ignition, started the car, and followed his father leaving the previous happy state of the dance as simply a distant memory.

Moments passed before Luka finally broke the silence, "I realize you're probably a little angry right now about how everything went down outside, but I need you to understand that I had no idea Elijah would be ready so soon. I thought we would have more time to prepare you for what's to come."

Damon felt the strain on his head loosen slightly, but when he tried to move, he failed and remained firmly in place. Instead he rolled his eyes to show how he felt about Luka's statement.

Bonnie turned around and announced, "You can talk now Damon, but nothing else. You can easily break out of this car and Elena needs you too much to allow you to do that."

Realizing he had some form of freedom, Damon let out a vicious snarl before threatening, "You can't hold this spell over my head forever. As soon as you remove it, I'm pulling each one of your organs from your body individually and slowly."

Luka pleaded, "Please just let me finish explaining. I understand you're pissed and I would be too, but there are reasons behind what we did."

Damon wanted to slam his fist against the side of Luka's scull, but the spell removed that option. Instead he spat back, "I don't give a fuck what your reasons are. If you cause Elena one scratch on her perfect body, I will not hesitate to kill you."

"Just calm down so we can talk. I need to get you to understand some things before we face Elijah. We don't have much time and you being angry is only going to make the situation worse."

"You haven't seen me angry, but you will if you don't lift this goddamn spell." Damon shouted.

Bonnie shot him a concerned expression before stating, "I'm sorry, but I can't do that, Damon. It's very important that you listen to what Luka has to say or else Elena is going to die."

The reality of that statement struck Damon with a painful blow to the chest. If there was anything that could force him to cooperate, that was it. "Let me be perfectly clear… I do not trust either one of you and I have no intention of helping you, but I will listen to what you have to say for Elena's sake."

"Thank you," Bonnie replied.

Luka shot her a nervous glance and appeared to be waiting for Damon's next sarcastic or threatening statement, but nothing came. At the sound of Damon's silence, Luka figured it was time to begin. "There was once a time when Vampires were not confined to the night and werewolves were not influenced by the moon. Vampires had the luxury of walking around in plain sunlight and werewolves had the freedom to turn when they chose. "

"Could you skip the drawn out history lesson and just give me the cliff notes version?" Damon interrupted.

Luka sighed and replied, "In order to understand your roll, you must understand the history."

Damon didn't give a shit about the history. His only concern was finding out how to save Elena from her impending doom. "Reality check, I _am_ walking history. So spare me the story and get to the part about how I can save…" He tried to continue, but his voice made no sound. Apparently Bonnie had replaced the spell constricting his vocal cords.

Luka looked at her and muttered, "Thank you."

A satisfied grin pulled the edges of her lips upward as she replied, "No problem."

Luka continued again…

_Eternal life was reserved for the royal families of the time and the werewolves acted as their slaves. They very rarely created new vampires because there was no need to. Their food supply was already limited and with very few births, children were not often brought into the society._

_Humans still existed, but most remained hidden because it was their only means of survival. Those that were unlucky enough to get caught served as sexual servants and food for the vampires. They were kept alive simply to ensure the survival of the species._

_The only humans that were able to survive willingly amongst the two species were witches. During this time, they cooperated with the vampires and some even married them. When arranged in a marriage, witches were stripped of most of their powers and they were limited to what spells they were able to cast. Specifically, ones that were considered harmful against their spouses were rendered useless. This dissipated the threat of a witch rebellion._

_Many of the most powerful witches of our history existed during this time, but my ancestor Demetra Martin's abilities surpassed them all. It was this trait that resulted in the creation of what we now call the sun and the moon curse._

_Demetra was wed to Vasilis Klaus at the time the war started. An uprising from the remaining un-slaved werewolves resulted in one of the deadliest battles for the two species. Without any restraint on their abilities, the two sides were able to destroy many of the other within days. But that didn't stop the war from raging on for months._

_Demetra was left alone when Klaus headed off into battle and it was this separation that led to her romance with their slave __Kallias Hunter. When the vampire king fell during battle, it was Klaus that took his thrown. Klaus was secretly relieved from battle, when he found the two in bed together and killed the werewolf. Demetra, who had fallen in love with Kallias, made it no secret that she no longer wanted any part in the vampire civilization or Klaus' life._

_In result he beat her and threw her into their prison where she remained for many years. He came to her weeks after her capture and required the creation of a spell limiting the werewolves' power. She resisted at first, but once he threatened her life, she obliged. _

_When asked, Klaus supplied her with two rocks that are now the moon and the sun stones. She created a spell that limited the wolves' transition to only full moons ensuring the Vampires victory in the war, but she also secretly created a spell that restricted the vampires to night walking. To ensure her own safety at her betrayal, she limited the day stone's effects to future turned vampires. _

_It took her many days to complete the spell and during that time, Klaus had taken an interest in the human Natasa Petrova. Instead of simply using her for favors and food, he courted her and appeared to actually love the human. Although Demetra no longer felt anything romantic towards the tyrant, she couldn't ignore the stab of jealousy that crept up every time she saw the two together. The poor girl had no idea Demetra was once Klaus' lover, but this had no effect on Demetra's decision._

_This was why she included the Petrova bloodline in her counter spell. In order to break the curses, sacrifices of supernatural power had to be made from both a werewolf and a vampire as well as the death of a Petrova descendent. The sacrifices from the supernatural beings forcing them to exist as humans as well as the Petrova human sacrifice was the only way to break the curse, but of course this counter curse was hidden for many centuries._

_Once the spells were casted, the vampires won the remaining battles with ease forcing the few remaining werewolves into hiding. It wasn't until many years later that they realized the full effect of the curse and, by this time, Demetra had long escaped her entrapment. _

Luka appeared to be finished, because Damon felt the slight release of pressure from his head. He rubbed his lips together before he chastised, "I still didn't hear the part where you explain to me how I am supposed to save Elena's life."

Luka removed a very old crinkled piece of parchment paper from his pocket and handed it to Bonnie. She hovered it in front of Damon's face before Luka stated, "Apparently, Demetra was not as cold hearted as we thought in the end of her lifetime."

Damon eyed the parchment in front of his face before letting out a frustrated snort. "Obviously I can't read this gibberish."

"I found this paper in the spine of Demetra's grimoire a few weeks ago while preparing for our execution of the counter spell. To say I was shocked would be a very severe understatement." Astonishment was still streaming through his words as he continued, "It's a secret sub-counter for the original spell. On the back of the paper is a written statement explaining that she found happiness after she married a warlock…"

Luka continued to ramble off the story as if he was reading it directly off the piece of parchment. "The two had raised three healthy children and at the end of her life, she understood the consequences for her actions. Natasa Petrova was a helpless victim, now forever tied to one of the most powerful spells created. Demetra understood what this meant for the Petrova bloodline as well as the importance behind the original spell remaining effective. So she created a second counter curse to break the original spell. This spell required a sacrifice much more rare than the previous, but it spared the life of a human and eliminated the return of supernatural freedom."

"This second counter spell allows either a vampire or a werewolf to solely sacrifice their supernatural abilities, while the other gains the freedom that was once theirs so long ago. But this spell can only be triggered if the sacrifice is made purely out of love for the Petrova descendent. This act of love has the power to abolish any chance of ever breaking the original spell, thus restraining vampires to the night and werewolves to full moons."

Luka then paused dramatically before stopping the car at a red light. He took this moment to turn and stare directly into Damon's shocked eyes before questioning, "Do you understand what I'm telling you."

For once Damon was speechless. It took a moment for him to regain his composure before he reactively spat, "No fucking way! Unlike some, I actually _enjoy_ being a living dead person. It's who I am and there is no way I'm giving that up to become a measly human being…"

Damon trailed off as understanding made its way through his thought process. He would no longer emotionally be transforming into a better man for Elena; he would literally transition into one. No more strength, no more speed, no more eternal life. But he'd have Elena. Then the choice seemed blatantly clear and there was no more inner discussion.

The car started forward again and Bonnie must have noticed Damon's acceptance through his eyes because he suddenly felt the hold on his body lift. Instead of attacking, he brought his hand to his forehead and rubbed his temples. He no longer felt the urge to rip the witch's limbs from their bodies because they meant Elena no harm. They simply wanted his sacrifice in order to save her.

The idea of giving up his eternal life and supernatural abilities was one Damon had never considered. For so long he had managed to master his skills and cravings, but after today he would be widdled down to a simple living, breathing, and dying human being while Tyler gained the power to transform on command whenever he wanted. The idea of Tyler gaining so much power gave Damon a bad taste in his mouth and almost made him reverse his position on the topic.

Then the image of a healthy Elena floated into his mind. The same one he had envisioned while waiting for her on the porch. But instead of a few years down the road, this one was at least twenty years in the future. The delicate wrinkles around her eyes as she smiled sent a wave of love crashing through his core, but what shocked him the most was the idea of him sitting next to her with the same wrinkles and a child between them. _Their child._

After today, he would no longer be stuck in time, but instead moving and growing throughout it right alongside the woman he would sacrifice anything for. He wasn't sure if he would ever be father material, but at least this way Elena would have the option. She wouldn't have to sacrifice anything else in order to be with him, because there would be nothing left to sacrifice. They would simply be two humans living in a normal world and Damon would finally be able to make it easy for Elena to love him in return.

Damon finally removed his hand revealing his eyes and questioned, "How do I know I can trust you're speaking the truth?"

For the first time since they left the high school, Damon heard Luka's low laugh. The same one he had heard ever-so faintly back in the cellar. That moment felt like light years past, but in reality it had been only a little over a week ago.

"Always with the trust issues." Luka teased.

"I'm a vampire. We're not exactly the most honest-natured creatures." Damon responded in a matter-of-fact tone.

Luka rolled his eyes and reasoned, "I saved you in that cellar for this purpose, Damon. Why else would I have done something like that?"

Damon had to give it to Luka. There was no other reason a witch would save a vampire unless it resulted in somehow saving a human. They weren't designed to aid vampires; they were designed to aid humans, which further supported Luka's stance against Elijah.

Damon sighed before finally stating, "I'm in, but I do have one more question. How exactly do you plan on killing Elijah after he realizes you betrayed him? It's not exactly like I can walk up to the guy and shove a stake through his heart. Been there, tried that, and it didn't work."

Bonnie replied this time. She waved her hand dismissively through the air and explained, "We've got that covered. Jonas is explaining everything to Caroline as we speak."

Their fate would be placed in the hands of vampire Barbie. _That was comforting._

Accepting Bonnie's answer and no longer feeling the need to continue in their meaningless conversation; Damon laid his body against the back seat of the car and relaxed as a vampire for, more than likely, the last time in his life.

* * *

**So there was not as much romance and fluff as in the previous chapters, but I was ready for the action to start happening. I hope I created a believable back-story for all that is happening in the show since I've really gotten nothing to work with as of last weeks episode. (On a side note, the last episode might just be my favorite episode yet... just saying.)**

**What I _ am _going to use from last week's episode is John's way to kill original vampires. Since it was explained in the show, I am going to skip over the description in the next chapter because I didn't feel it necessary to have you sit through the explanation again.**

**On another side note: Some of you were upset about the lack of smut included in this story. I know I told some of you that I was working on another piece that was a little more adult, but after writing a couple of chapters, I have decided to trash it. I might keep it and post it eventually, but smut is just not my thing. I can read it from time to time, but I enjoy writing the emotions involved in a romance instead of the physical.**

**That being said, this chapter gave me motivation for a completely different story that I cannot wait to begin writing. I don't have many of the details panned out yet, but it will more than likely take place around the same time as my back story. Yes, I am going to try and tackle an alternate universe story and of course it will include Elena and Damon. I'm not sure if I will begin writing it before I finish this one or immediately after, but if you're interested keep an eye out it for it soon.**

_**As always, your comments keep me writing. :)**_


	19. Chapter 19

**Lots of author's notes regarding this and the last chapter, so please bear with me for a minute.**

**I had trouble sending replies to a lot of your comments this time around. My outbox and inbox was acting extremely funny and I'm not sure which responses sent. If you didn't receive a reply from me, then I apologize. If you take the time to leave a detailed comment regarding a chapter, then you deserve to receive a detailed response from me. That's the way I see it and again, if you didn't receive one then I am very sorry!**

**I received an overwhelming number of private messages regarding the last chapter and Damon's decision to become human. There were a ton of you that disagreed with this decision and there were also a ton of you that agreed with it. I never realized how much of an impact this decision would have on your opinions of the story as a whole. Ultimately, I realized that whichever way I chose I would be disappointing some of you and I am very sorry for that. I know that you all have invested a great deal of time in this story and I hate having to disappoint.**

**That being said, when I posted the last chapter, I had already written about half of this one and I am sticking firmly with my original gut decision. I hope those of you that do not agree will still continue to read the remaining chapters and continue to enjoy them as much as the previous.**

**I am very nervous about posting this chapter; not only because of the weight that has been placed on Damon's transition, but also because it just doesn't feel perfect to me. After making tiny revisions about 7363716 times and still not feeling content, I have decided just to post it. I didn't want to leave you all waiting around any longer than you already have and if I realize I need to make more changes, than I can always come back and do so.**

_**Please enjoy chapter 19. :)**_

* * *

"Once you dip it in the ash, you must stake him through the heart. This is the only possible way to kill an original vampire." Jonas continued.

Elena sat uncomfortably in the back seat of the vehicle and found herself entirely overwhelmed. Jonas had lifted the curse controlling Tyler and Caroline after he had explained his intentions for them all. To Elena's surprise, her friends had accepted Jonas' story and agreed with the actions that needed to be executed almost immediately.

Tyler had been more than willing to accept total control over his phasing into a werewolf. Why wouldn't he? He would now have the option to never transform again and he was making it perfectly clear that was exactly what he intended.

Caroline took a little more convincing. Although she had settled into her supernatural life fairly well, she didn't understand why she couldn't be the sacrifice Elena needed.

"Because it must be a sacrifice made purely out of love for the doppelganger. You would be sacrificing your abilities for yourself, not entirely for Elena." Jonas had reasoned.

Caroline had protested, but after a brief argument with Jonas, she had surrendered knowing his statement had been true. Instead of acting as the sacrifice, she would take on the role of killing Elijah, and surprisingly she didn't appear frightened in the least. She actually looked fearless discussing her task in the front seat with Jonas. If Elena hadn't had a thousand other thoughts consuming her focus, she would have told her best friend how proud she was of her. The girl had transformed into a powerful, confident woman in the matter of months and considering where she had been, that was a mighty step.

While the others anxiously discussed the future mission of the evening, Elena found herself knee deep in conflicting positions. If their plan was a success, then there would never be a supernatural conflict interfering with Elena's life again. She would finally be able to breathe knowing that her life was no longer at the top of the supernatural realm's priority list.

While the thought should have filled her with relief, it only successfully managed to fill her with guilt; because in order for her to gain freedom from the world she had become all too familiar with, Damon would have to lose it.

Elena turned and looked out the back window, desperate to see Damon, but to her disappointment, his vehicle was merely a fuzzy mass in the distance. They were trailing too far behind for Elena to get a clear image of any of its passengers. She turned back around and crossed her arms over her chest feeling helpless. She needed to speak to Damon because if she was overwhelmed by this decision, she could only imagine how overwhelmed he must have been feeling. She was merely a component of the sacrificial spell, while Damon would act as the _actual_ sacrifice. She needed to know what he was thinking and how he was handling the news because she knew how much of a sacrifice this _truly_ was for him.

It was hard to imagine that so many months ago; both Salvatore brothers had vowed their loyalty to saving her. She didn't exactly oppose their loyalty at the time, but she didn't exactly rejoice in both of them acting as her saviors either. Damon had done so much and sacrificed even more to protect her already that the idea of him losing himself was too much for her to ask.

There was no doubt in Elena's mind that Damon would give up everything that made him who he was so that she could survive and live her life the way it was supposed to be lived. And she couldn't ignore the idea that living that life alongside a human Damon was appealing. There would no longer be any guessing about their future. They would both grow old together, start a family, _be normal_; but after living so many years as a vampire could Damon ever be content with normal? Elena knew the answer to the question and it was that answer that left her feeling uneasy.

Yes, Damon would sacrifice everything about himself in order to keep Elena safe because he loved her and although he would never admit it, when it came to Elena he was truly selfless. He was an exceptionally great vampire who would always put Elena and her happiness above anything else, but it was time to show that she was willing to do that same thing.

He meant more to her than the appeal that came with living a normal life and it wasn't fair to ask him to make that sacrifice, even if it meant getting everything she wanted. Truth was Damon was what she wanted, vampire or human; it didn't matter. Because regardless of what uncertainties their relationship held in the future, as long as Damon didn't lose himself they would overcome anything.

Her decision seemed like a no-brainer after mentally hashing out the details and Elena knew it would be a difficult task, but it was worth the risk. _Damon was worth the risk._

"Does Klaus know of my existence?" Elena suddenly blurted out.

She had been silently musing over her thoughts for at least 10 minutes, so it came as no surprise that the others appeared startled by her sudden re-entry into the conversation. At their silence, she asked again with a little more stress on the question. "Does Klaus know of my existence?"

This time Jonas responded appropriately, "No. Elijah has kept your existence under complete secret because he didn't want to risk anyone else interfering with his plan."

Sudden relief fell upon Elena as she asked just to be clear, "So Elijah is the only outside vampire that knows who I am and that I am alive? Everyone else believes Katherine was the last descendent in the Petrova line?"

Jonas still appeared to have no idea what Elena was getting at because his face revealed complete confusion. "Yes. Many know of Isobel, but no one knows her relationship with Katherine nor that you are her daughter."

Without saying another word, Elena relaxed into the back seat of the vehicle with a clear understanding that everyone would be able to walk away from the evening exactly the way they had arrived. Jonas looked as though he wanted to clarify why Elena had asked the questions she did, but before he had a chance the car came to a stop. As he switched the car into park, he turned around and announced, "We're here."

As Jonas awaited their movement, Elena took the time to glance at the other passengers of the car. Caroline tucked the knife and bottle of ash into the back of her jeans before giving a ready nod and breathing out a simple, "Ok."

Tyler nervously rubbed his sweaty palms together, but otherwise appeared to be keeping his cool.

Jonas focused his attention on Elena. As she took a deep breath, she mentally prepared herself for what was to come. She wasn't sure if she would ever be able to accomplish what she had in mind, but she had to. It was time to show Damon that he had sacrificed enough for her. He loved her more than life itself, and it was time that she proved she felt exactly the same way about him.

* * *

Damon kept his focus on the passing forest scenery as the car crept along the dirt road. He wasn't sure how long they had been on the beaten path, but it was long enough to know they were secluded in the heart of the forest. He hadn't been surprised when Luka made the turn into the woods off of route 40 because if Elijah was planning on killing Elena, he sure as hell wouldn't want bystanders hanging around.

The sudden thought of Elena's death sent a wave of slight panic through his whole body, but he calmed himself knowing it would never come to that point. They had a plan and if it was executed correctly, Elena's life wouldn't be in jeopardy. The only life that would be lost today would be his supernatural one and it was a sacrifice he was willing to make in order to keep Elena safe.

As Luka pulled the car into park behind his father's, Damon tried not to dwell on everything he would be losing and instead on the one thing he would be gaining; Elena forever. It was much easier to face what was coming next when he considered that point.

Luka looked at Damon and then to Bonnie as he asked, "Are you ready?"

Bonnie hesitated a moment before she responded with a nod. Luka then turned to look solely at Damon and repeated the question, "Are you ready?"

Damon took one last look out of the window and at the surrounding forest, took a deep breath and responded, "Let's get this over with."

As the three exited the car, Damon half expected Elena to already be rushing towards him, but when he lifted his eyes to glance in her direction he found her frozen outside of Jonas' vehicle. He followed the line of her vision as Elijah came perfectly into focus.

Elijah looked as though he could have easily accompanied them to the formal. He was dressed in his typical suit attire and appeared perfectly at ease. Normally, this relaxed stance would have invited one from Damon, but he knew from past experiences that nothing rattled Elijah. Either the original was an impeccable actor, or he was extremely confident. Damon mentally assumed it was the latter.

He instinctively narrowed his eyes at the original vampire standing 20 feet from the girl he loved. The idea that Elijah intended to kill this girl, _his_ girl; made Damon want to rip the guy's spleen through his backside, but better judgment interfered. He knew he had a role to play if their plan was to be a success, so instead of acting out his thoughts, he simply followed Luka and Bonnie as they walked towards the others.

Elena turned to face Damon, revealing an unreadable expression, as he approached her side. He knew Jonas had filled her in on their mission, but he was sure the news would have left her feeling a little more content than what she was putting off. He protectively laced his arm around her waist and focused his attention on Elijah.

"Welcome. I'm sorry; it appears I have interrupted quite the occasion." Elijah announced taking in their formal attire.

"Where's Klaus?" Elena asked acting her part.

Elijah ignored her question and instead narrowed his eyes accusingly and focused his attention on Jonas. "You seem to have brought more witnesses than I was expecting."

"They won't interfere." Jonas lied.

Elijah kept his poise as he responded, "I find that incredibly hard to believe." He then stuck his right hand into the pocket of his dress pants and walked a few steps closer to the group. "What I do believe is your deception."

Damon felt his senses begin to heighten as Elijah continued, "Did you really think I was naive enough to trust that you'd follow through on my request?"

Damon snuck a quick glance at the speechless Jonas and noticed the sweat trickling down the side of his forehead. It was obvious that Jonas had overestimated Elijah's sense of trust.

Elijah swept his free hand through his hair and announced, "I've been keeping tabs on you for weeks and I have full recognition of your betrayal. I know you intend on killing me this evening in order to free yourself from my command." He then focused his eyes on Elena as Damon tightened his arm around her. "And I also know you plan on rescuing her from what I have in store all while destroying my chance of gaining the power that is rightfully mine."

Elijah then refocused his attention back on Jonas as he asked, "Am I missing anything?"

Jonas, who had previously been a master of deception, now shook spastically as he lied, "Sir, you know I wouldn't be stupid enough to try something like that."

Elijah let out a cool laugh as he replied, "You really are a terrible liar, Jonas. It was a very foolish thing for you to attempt and I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you won't be successful."

Damon fought every urge to attack the original. He had been led to this spot under the pretense that their mission would pan out flawlessly, but that didn't appear to be the case anymore. Elijah obviously knew what they had in store for him and there was no way they were going to defeat him.

As Jonas rattled off another unbelievable lie, Damon considered his options. He debated attacking Elijah now, but ignored that option recognizing that his strength was no match against an original's. Elijah would simply swat him away like an annoying mosquito. He also knew that he couldn't just remain standing in place doing nothing. Defeat smacked uncomfortably around Damon's stomach as he realized he had no idea what to do in this situation.

Elijah's voice brought Damon back to the present. "It's a pity really that it had to end this way, but I don't accept betrayal well. Although… I would like to thank you for bringing a spare witch to take your son's position in casting the spell. Normally I would simply kill you, but because your strength far outshines the others, you are necessary to the spells effectiveness."

Without another word, he quickly removed his right hand from his pocket and launched a ninja star at Luka's head. Seeing the motion, Damon heaved his body in front of Luka's causing the star to implant itself into his right shoulder before the two collapsed onto the ground. He quickly whispered to Luka, "Consider my debt repaid," before jumping back into an upright position.

Damon grimaced as he quickly ripped the star from his flesh and threw it against the mossy ground as he heard the desperate whimpers from Elena. Apparently the seconds his previous actions had required were more than enough for Elijah to gain the upper hand.

At the sound of Elena's despair, Damon quickly looked up to see Elijah had successfully removed Elena from the rest of the group. He had one hand wrapped around her body while the other was gripped tightly around her throat. Damon lowered himself into a crouch, ready to attack, and let out a horrifying snarl.

Elijah removed his hand from Elena's neck and waved his finger back and forth as he chided, "I wouldn't do that if I were you. You see, I need her dead anyway, so it wouldn't interfere with my plan one bit if I snapped her neck." As the threat left his lips, Elijah delicately traced his index finger along Elena's collarbone and Damon heard her heartbeat quicken in fear.

Although it was clear she was trying to remain strong in the presence of Elijah; her eyes easily gave her away. They screamed panic and it required all of Damon's restraint to keep from pouncing. He felt his insides begin to vibrate as he painfully watched Elijah continue to trail his finger up Elena's neck and across her cheek. Although he already had every intention of killing the man, the intimate contact Elijah was forcing on _his_ Elena triggered the territorial predator lurking within, and now Damon wanted nothing more than to rip Elijah into pieces.

Easily fighting against his better judgment, Damon once again lowered into a crouch as Elijah suddenly removed his finger breaking the contact between it and Elena's face. At the simple action, Damon felt his senses calm the slightest bit. His vision transitioned from red back to normal and Damon regained control over himself.

A sly grin slid across Elijah's lips as he admitted, "You really have surprised me, Damon."

Instead of dignifying the original with a verbal response, Damon let out another vicious snarl instead.

To Damon's surprise, Elijah coolly laughed. "I knew this girl was important to you when you attempted to kill me the first time in order to save her. You can imagine what a surprise it had been for me to learn she was involved with your brother at the time."

Elijah paused and tucked a loose piece of Elena's hair behind her ear; the simple action along with the mention of his brother's past involvement with Elena, caused Damon's insides to tighten in response.

Satisfied with the rise he had provoked from Damon, Elijah grinned and continued. "You see, I've been watching you for quite some time and it was truly painful how you waited around for her like a lost puppy." Elijah exaggerated a shiver before he stated, "That _was_ truly torture, but you got her in the end didn't you? It's such a pity that your budding romance must end so quickly."

At the sound of his threat, Damon felt the blood pulse from his eyes as the dark veins emerged. Elijah once again laughed at his lack of control and shook his index finger in the air. "Tsk. Tsk. That's not exactly your smartest option here."

"Smartest or not, whichever option involves killing you is my best!" Damon screamed.

"You know you're no match for me. Why don't we just do this the easy way and I'll spare your life." Elijah reasoned.

Damon had to admit Elijah was right. From this distance, the original would easily snap Elena's neck before Damon even came close to contact. It had become apparent that he would be receiving no aid from the silent bystanders behind him and the only way he stood any chance of saving Elena was to get closer. So he straightened himself up and replied, "Fine."

A delighted grin appeared on Elijah's face causing his eyes to squint. "I am so pleased to see you have come to your senses. I knew you were a smart one." He then lost the grin as he focused his attention on the nervously silent crowd behind Damon.

Elijah snapped his finger and demanded, "Witches."

Jonas and Luka both appeared defeated as they walked towards Elijah with their heads down. Neither one had the decency to look Damon or Elena in the eye as they crossed the space.

He then focused his attention on Tyler and demanded, "You're needed as well for this."

Tyler then hesitantly stepped forward leaving Bonnie alone at the car. It took Damon only a second to realize Caroline was nowhere to be found. He mentally recapped the moments that had taken place since their arrival and remembered Caroline being present in most of them. Then it dawned on him that the last time he had noticed Vampire Barbie was immediately before he had saved Luka.

For the first time since their arrival, Damon felt the warmth of gaining the upper hand. He assumed Caroline must have slipped away while Elijah was momentarily distracted with obtaining Elena. He silently thanked the female vamp while hoping that she hadn't fled from the site in fear.

While Tyler slowly made his way to Elijah's side, Damon stealthily skimmed the forest only to find no sight of Caroline. The unexpected warmth he had momentarily experienced diminished with Damon's faith in the female vampire. He mentally kicked himself for being stupid enough to consider Caroline a heroine.

Elijah tapped his foot on the ground impatiently as he called out, "We're just waiting on you, Damon."

Damon shifted his gaze on the original as a blur caught his attention in the distance, but as quickly as it had appeared it had disappeared once again. He wasn't exactly confident about what he saw, but he was fairly sure the figure had been sporting long blonde hair. Prickles of hope danced over Damon's neckline, but he controlled his composure careful not to reveal his excitement in front of Elijah.

He wasn't certain what Caroline required from him, but Damon figured a distraction was more than likely on the list. He knew Elijah had been around longer that he could even imagine and the idea of fooling such an aged vampire seemed ludicrous, but Damon took a deep breath and knew he had to give it his best shot.

Damon walked a few steps forward and stopped. He raised his eyebrows as he asked, "What exactly do you need me to do in order to get this whole going?"

Elijah narrowed his eyes at Damon's question and replied, "We've already been over this, Damon. Don't be foolish enough to get yourself killed along with her."

Once again being included in the conversation, Elena let out another panicked whimper and shot Damon a look that screamed _Don't Be Stupid_. Normally it would have pained Damon to see Elena fretting over his possible demise, but the sight of Caroline had given him a new found light and he knew his love had nothing to worry about.

Damon rubbed his chin and announced, "Since you've been observing my actions for so long, you know me well enough to see that I'm not going to make this easy for you." He then walked the few steps to the nearest tree and snapped a branch before playfully tossing it between his hands.

Elijah rolled his eyes and with frustration radiating from his exterior he replied, "Fine. I didn't want it to end this way, but you leave me no choice."

Damon wasn't sure if it was the second sight he had of Caroline positioned behind Elijah or the original's hands moving into the position to snap Elena's neck, but he shook his face violently as his inner monster came to the surface.

The simple act was enough distraction for Caroline to make her kill shot. The female vampire flashed from behind the tree and masterfully stabbed Elijah through his back in the perfect position driving the knife straight through his heart.

Surprise was evident on Elijah's face as his eyes became wide in terror. The decaying stiffness of death slide its way up his legs, across his chest, and over his face before he fell to the ground taking Elena's body with him.

* * *

Elena let out a terrifying scream as she fell to the ground. Something had happened, but she wasn't exactly sure what it was. She had felt Elijah's arm stiffen around her stomach before he had pulled her to the mossy earth below. She tried to fight against his hold, but was no match against his strength. As panic quickly started to overwhelm her, Damon flashed above her. The sight of his flawless face was more than enough to settle her into a state of euphoria.

A smile played along his lips as he explained, "You're alright; he's dead. Now just sit still while I pry his disgusting rotted hands from you."

Elena couldn't fight the laugh that escaped her lips. So much tension had built inside of her during the recent situation; that the idea of victory sent her into a sudden laughing spell.

As Elena giggled uncontrollably, he pulled at Elijah's lifeless arms freeing her and lifted her up into a tight embrace. She brought her lips crashing down on his and let herself enjoy the moment. After a few seconds, she painfully removed her lips from his and exclaimed, "I can't believe we did it!"

Damon lowered her to the ground as he replied, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but Caroline did it."

At this moment, Elena turned to find Caroline spastically jumping up and down in glee. Her friend was waving her arms spastically in the air shouting, "That's right, I did it! That was all me! Caroline Forbes is a beast!"

Tyler swooped in, grabbing Caroline around the waist, and whirled her through the air. The laughs her friend released were contagious and Elena found herself giggling along with the vamp. The moment was perfect and Elena couldn't fathom a possible ending to her evening that could have felt any more satisfying. Well, maybe a night alone with her vampire boyfriend would qualify as more satisfying, but that was something she planned on acting upon this evening.

The thought of Damon brought her swirling back to face him. Without any hesitation, she wrapped her arms around his neck and forced his lips against hers. Through passionate kisses she whispered, "I love you."

She felt his lips smile against hers as he laughed and replied, "I love you too."

Their intimate moment continued for no longer than a minute before Bonnie found the need to swoop in. She grabbed Elena around the waist and ripped her from Damon's embrace as she laughed and cried out, "Your time's up. It's my turn to celebrate with her!"

The two hugged and jumped frantically through the air in excitement before falling to the ground. They both relaxed side by side as they tried to catch their breath. Elena figured that surviving the supernatural world would have at least built up her stamina, but the celebrating only made her realize how out of shape she truly was. She momentarily debated taking up running before realizing that an increase of action in her sex life would be just as effective and she smiled at the thought.

Almost as if he could hear her thoughts, Damon took a seat next to Elena on the forest floor and softly stroked her hair. Elena closed her eyes and embraced the gentle touches he was providing. Within minutes, the entire group had joined them on the floor, but it appeared their celebrating was over.

Jonas was the first to break the satisfying silence as he questioned, "So where do we want to do this?"

Confusion made its way across her features as Elena considered what he was referring to. Like a freight train, the memory of their car conversation slammed against her gut. Through all of the excitement, she had completely forgotten about the second part of their mission and the sole part of hers.

Tyler immediately rose and lifted Caroline from the ground as he replied, "Anywhere. Let's get this over with so we can celebrate." He grabbed Caroline and whirled her through the air again.

This time, as Elena listened to her friend's giggles, she couldn't bring herself to share the same enthusiasm. Everyone was so eager to witness Damon's sacrifice and the idea left Elena sick to her stomach. She raised her chest from the ground and turned to face Damon as she whispered, "You don't have to do this."

Damon lifted his hand to cup her chin and, as a smile grace his lips, he replied, "I know, but I'm going to anyway."

His response had been so nonchalant that Elena found herself second guessing her decision. She almost didn't speak again, but the overwhelming desire to do what was right was too much to resist. "I don't want you to."

Shock emanated from his expression as he replied, "Why not? It's the only way we can save you permanently. We have the power to remove you from this curse, Elena."

This time Elena was the one to cup her lovers face. Her eyes screamed compassion as she reasoned, "It's not necessary. I don't want you giving anything else up for me; especially this."

To her surprise, Damon lifted himself from the ground and heatedly announced, "Don't be stupid, it's completely necessary. This is the only way we can ensure your safety and we're going through with the spell." He then stomped over to Jonas and stated in a much leveler tone, "We can do this here, right now."

Elena had no idea how she was going to convince Damon that she had no desire for him to turn. He had already sacrificed so much for her and she wasn't about to let him sacrifice this as well. She knew Damon too well to know that he was not happy with giving up his supernatural life. It didn't exactly define who he was, but it came pretty close. Damon was a vampire, a great one at that, and it was a bigger part of him than she was willing to let him sacrifice.

She heaved herself from the ground and ran to him taking his face between her hands. As she stared deeply into his blue eyes she pleaded, "Please don't do this. I know you think that you're saving me, but it's not worth this. This is who you are!"

She had managed to royally piss Damon off. The frustration blazed from his eyes as he threw her hands from his face and reasoned, "You are worth this! You're worth anything that I would have to give up! Don't you understand that?"

Tears found their way from her tear ducts as she cried, "I do. And I know that you believe that right now, but you're going to regret this decision. Maybe not now, maybe not in a few weeks, but eventually you are. I don't want that, I would never want that."

Damon's face softened as he wiped a stray tear from her cheek. "I would never regret a decision that resulted in gaining you."

Elena took a deep breath. She knew she wasn't fighting fair, but it was the only move she had at the moment. "If you do this now, you won't have me." Elena knew this statement was the furthest from the truth, but as she stated the lie, she masked her face with determination. She knew the aftermath that was sure to follow would be torrential, but it was worth the upcoming fight. No matter what words were sure to stream from Damon's mouth, they would work through it. This was the right decision; Elena knew it in her heart. She just needed to give Damon the time to understand it as well.

Black veins streaked from Damon's eyes as he curled his fingers inward. The sight was terrifying to see, but Elena didn't fear the monster in front of her. She knew her stubbornness was going to make Damon angry and she had already braced herself for it.

Elena patiently watched as Damon calmed himself down. The others appeared taken aback by his sudden monstrous appearance, but she knew him well enough to know that he wasn't a threat. As his face transitioned back into normal, he shouted, "God damnit, Elena."

Nothing else escaped his perfect lips and Elena knew she had won the battle. She let out a relieved sigh before she walked over and wrapped her arms around Damon, but he didn't return the embrace. This didn't surprise her in the least. She moved her mouth close to his ear and whispered, "We don't have to do the spell right now. Let's go home and I promise we can discuss it when we're alone."

He didn't even look down to meet her eyes as he muttered, "You're damn straight we will."

She then turned to face the gawking others and questioned, "Can we please go home now?"

The request was simple and Elena didn't see the harm in putting off the spell, but instead of agreeing, Jonas took a step forward and objected. "I don't think so."

* * *

**So, Damon's fate is still up in the air. I hope you enjoyed the confrontation with Elijah and I didn't let you down.**

**The next chapter will be the last in this story, followed by an epilogue. Thanks again for taking the time to read it!**

_**Remember, your comments make my world go round!**_


	20. Chapter 20

**I know I promised you all an epilogue after this chapter, but I have decided to stop here. I know it is a terribly awful thing to do, but after writing this I feel as though I have gotten to the place I wanted with this story. At this point, I feel that writing an epilogue would only detract from this chapter. So I am very sorry to announce that this will be the last chapter for _A Bite That Starts It All_.**

**Quite a few people asked the same question last chapter regarding Damon's secret from the show. Since I started writing this story immediately after the Vampire Diaries' craptastic display of a winter finale, I am sticking firmly behind the Damon we all knew at the end of that episode. So nope, the Damon in my story has no big secret that he misses being a human.**

**Please enjoy the last chapter of _A Bite That Starts It All_….**

* * *

It hadn't been hard convincing the Martins that there was no harm in waiting to perform the spell. Jonas' only argument against Elena's suggestion of waiting had been his family's safety.

"I know you've kept up your part of the deal and we're free from Elijah, but our name is still tied to this spell. If word gets outs that our ancestor was the creator, what would stop others from approaching us?" Jonas had reasoned.

Elena knew 'approach' didn't represent entirely the point Jonas was getting at, but she understood his real meaning. Familiarity caused her to glance at Damon for assistance, but he offered none. He let her fight her own battle and why wouldn't he? He disagreed with her position as well as the others because he felt it was the best move. She mentally realized he would be the bigger battle of the two, but she was positive that she would be able to get him to accept her argument.

It had taken only one reminder from Elena concerning Elijah's sole knowledge of her existence to persuade Jonas that there was no danger in waiting. "You assured me earlier that Elijah has kept my existence a secret. Without the security of fully knowing that I exist, why would others attempt to force you to break the curse? As far as they know, I'm not alive and without me the curse can't be broken."

Accepting her point, he had surrendered. She wanted to hate the man that had almost led her to death, but couldn't. She understood his concept of worrying and protecting your loved ones above all others. She had constantly been worried about the safety of hers for the past two years and she couldn't bring herself to hate another that shared this same protective devotion. Instead she focused on the comfort of knowing that there was no more need to worry about those she loved.

Tyler had been disappointed and acted out like a child, but otherwise handled the news pretty well. As for Caroline and Bonnie, they simply followed suite with the others. Once Jonas and Luka had been won over, the girls had been as well. Bonnie had simply smiled showing Elena her support while Caroline shot her a thumbs up.

As Elena sat in the back of Luka's vehicle tucked against her non-responsive lover she silently pleaded for him to be as understanding as the others when they got home. His silence in the forest made her nervous and uncertain about their immediate future. And while she didn't exactly fear her life the way she had arriving to the forest, she was still fearful of their outcome.

Elena replayed the words she knew had sealed the deal and won her the first battle against Damon. _"If you do this now, you won't have me."_ She grimaced at the memory and regretted saying them. At the time they had seemed like her only option, and they more than likely had been, but they were unnecessary.

As she looked up to gaze upon Damon's hardened expression, she knew she had done damage. It was evident how much of an impact her words had truly had on him and she begged that she was capable of fixing her mistake. Her impulsive act had given her exactly what she needed; time to reason with her beloved vampire. But now she had to do more than prove to him her option was better than his, she also had to make him realize how untruthful her horrible statement had really been.

* * *

Damon was fuming on the inside. He had accepted his fate and had prepared himself mentally to give up his eternal life. Then Elena had ruined the entire thing. He faintly understood why she was behaving the way she was, but he didn't see the harm in changing. All he wanted was for Elena to be happy and he was damn sure a normal life would allow her that.

Yes, he was happy with _his_ life and enjoyed the supernatural perks that came with being a vampire, but they weren't everything. Elena was everything and he was more than willing to give up everything else to be with her. They finally had the chance to enjoy a fretless life together and he didn't understand how she couldn't envision the same happy ending he could.

The decision was his to make and he had been ready to make it. Then her tears had started to fall in the forest and he had found himself trying to persuade her it was the right move. He had been compassionate and loving, but she had thrown it back in his face. To his surprise, she had come back with an argument he couldn't fathom. She had been so believable when she stated he would no longer have her if he went through with the sacrifice, that he had no other choice than to believe it. The statement had struck a painful blow to his gut and he knew that she had won.

He had sat back and watched her persuade the others to follow her decision in hopes they would have some effect on her, but they didn't. The others had failed him and now he was the only soldier left standing firmly behind his opinion.

He rode silently the entire way back to the school with her pressed against his side. The loving touch assured him that her threat had simply been a strategic move to buy more time. He let out a sigh and knew Elena felt she was only doing what was right for him, but she couldn't have been further from right. She was a do-gooder by nature, so she was just following her instincts. But in this instance, her instincts were wrong.

He snuck a few quick glances at the stubborn girl he so desperately loved and expected her to be oozing confident optimism, but instead she appeared weak and uneasy. While the image begged him to comfort her, he held silently strong and hoped this meant a weakness in her offense.

As he snuck another glance down, he mentally prepared himself for the second battle they would share as soon as the others were out of the picture and pleaded that this time he would step away the victor.

* * *

When they arrived at the school, the dance had been long over and the parking lot was empty despite Damon's mustang. Elena mentally thanked herself for having enough sense to text Jenna a lame excuse for bailing on the dance. Her aunt wasn't happy with her decision to leave with Damon, but she would deal with that tomorrow. She had enough to worry about for one night.

Once everyone had stepped out of the cars, Elena had said the necessary thank yous and goodbyes to their friends while Damon headed for his vehicle without muttering a word. She briefly apologized for his behavior, but had no need to.

Jonas explained that he understood perfectly and wished her luck before getting in his car and driving away. Luka had given her a hug before taking Bonnie's hand and leading her back to his car. Her friend had looked back at Elena to give her a reassuring smile before taking her place in the passenger's seat.

Elena was left standing alone with Caroline and Tyler as the others drove away. She wasn't sure why, but she felt sorry for Tyler. He had suddenly been thrown into this supernatural world and although he had Caroline to help him through the transitioning phases, she had experienced first-hand how overwhelming this life could be in the beginning. She wrapped her arms around his torso and gave him a comforting embrace as she whispered, "I'm sorry. I know you were looking forward to never turning again and I ruined that opportunity for you."

Tyler pulled away from their embrace and gave her a weak grin. "I'm not going to say that I understand why Damon's life is so important to you, but I _can_ say that I forgive you. The outcome sucks, but I'll just have to deal with it."

Elena replied with her own smile before Caroline laced her arm around Tyler's waist and interrupted, "Besides, you've got me here to support you every step of the way." She then nuzzled her nose into his cheek flirtatiously.

Elena laughed at her friend's happiness and felt the desire to share the same closeness with Damon. She'd made a terrible mess, but it was now time to fix it.

Caroline must have seen the change in her friend's expression because she wrapped her arms around Elena and reassured, "Everything will be alright, Damon loves you. That's why he's so willing to give up who he is for you. You're both just extremely stubborn, but what you feel for each other is real and you'll figure out what's best for the two of you as a whole."

"Thank you," Elena replied as the two pulled away from each other.

"And if not, I'll come over and kick his ass." Caroline then shot a faux intimidating look in the direction of the mustang clearly informing Damon she knew he was listening to her every word.

Elena laughed at her friend's lighthearted nature and felt the need to once again congratulate her on everything she had accomplished that day. "You _are_ a bad ass now. I mean, you killed Elijah without getting as much as a scratch in return."

She saw Caroline's cheeks flush red before her friend gushed, "I know right!"

Elena let out another weak giggle before realizing the two had no ride home. Obviously, the group had gone over their allotted time for the limo rental. Although Elena was dying for a moment alone with Damon, her polite nature drove her to ask, "Do you guys need a ride?"

Caroline shook her head dismissively at the idea and replied, "Nah, we're good. Besides, I think you and Damon need the alone time now anyway."

_That sure was the truth._ Elena let out a relieving sigh, said goodbye, and watched as they flashed into the distance before heading in the direction of Damon's vehicle. She lowered herself into the car and immediately felt the weight of her previous statement. The car moved forward and she wasn't sure if Damon was ready to talk yet, but she couldn't wait another second.

She inhaled deeply and started in. "I know you're angry with me and you have every reason to be; I under-minded and embarrassed you in front of everyone else. I also said some things that I shouldn't have and I'm sorry. I love you, Damon, and I would never walk away from you because of a decision you feel is in my best interest, but I needed to buy more time. I know it was harsh and cruel and it probably left you feeling terrible, but this is a decision that you and I need to make and I didn't think it was right hashing out our decision in front of everyone else."

To her surprise, Damon responded evenly, "I know."

Shock covered her face as she questioned, "You do? I mean, you understand that those words were the furthest from the truth, right?"

Damon focused his attention solely on the winding road in front of him as he answered, "Yes."

Relief washed over her, but his refusal to meet her eyes still left her feeling uneasy. "I just needed you to know. I'm really sorry and I just want us to be able to talk about this." She took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze to ensure him that her words were the truth. She loved him more than anything and just wanted everything to be alright.

Damon turned to face Elena for the first time since they had left the woods and gave her a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I love you too, but can we just hold off the conversation until we get to the boarding house?"

"Sure," Elena replied nonchalantly. Although she desperately wanted to push him to speak further, she instead relaxed her head against the head rest and closed her eyes never removing her hold on the vampire's hand.

* * *

Damon just needed a drink. The events of the day had felt like a roller coaster ride and he just required something to take the edge off. Elena had gripped onto his hand like a life raft the entire way home and he hated making her feel uneasy. She was his life raft as well and that was the only reason he had to stay strong. He had to remember that all of this was for her benefit.

The weight of their different opinions crushed against his shoulders and he wanted nothing more than to fix the emotional distance between them, but that required discussion. And during that discussion, he had to stay reasonable because she had the incredible ability to get under his skin and persuade him to do anything. He feared that if he let his guard down for just a minute, she would win.

Once they had stepped into the boarding house, Damon made his way to the fireplace and lit the logs ablaze. There was something about a crackling fire that always eased his restless nature. After pouring himself a drink and allowing its soothing contents to take effect, he took a seat on the sofa next to Elena. He took a deep breath about to begin before she started, "I know you think…"

But he placed his hand over her mouth to cut her off. She eyed him suspiciously as he stated, "I know full well what you are going to say, Elena. You have made it perfectly clear that you have no desire for me to turn because you think I would be doing it for you. I could easily lie and say I would be doing it for myself, but I never want to have to lie to you."

He then removed his hand from her mouth in order to hold onto hers and embracing its warmth, he continued. "You have changed me so much since I came here and I regret none of it. I used to be a monster and we both know it, but you forced me to see who I really was. You never gave me the option before and I love you that much more for giving me the option now, but your push has always been right in the past. You pushing me to be a better man, figuratively speaking, has led me to feel almost human so why can't you just let me finish the transition?"

The words flowed from his lips as smoothly as butter and Elena found herself lost in his argument. After a minute hesitation, she cleared her head from the clouded state and replied, "Your argument just proves that ever since you arrived in Mystic Falls, your instincts and decisions have revolved around me. You can deny it, but we both know it's true. It's time you finally took a lesson from your brother and started living for yourself. Your world and the decisions you make don't always have to revolve around the effects they will have on me."

_Well, that was the farthest from the truth. _ If only she understood how much of an impact her gravitational pull had on him. She was the sun and Damon was simply a planet stuck in orbit around her.

Damon leaned forward and cupped her chin as he replied, "My world will always revolve around you."

Elena smiled at his statement and he noticed the shiver it sent over her body as she replied, "And yours, mine. But when you make this decision, Damon, I want it to be when _you_ are ready. I don't want it to be because you think it's necessary in saving my life. I want you to do it for you."

His signature grin slashed across his face as he honestly muttered, "You could be waiting a lifetime if that were the case."

"Then I would wait a lifetime." Elena replied without hesitation.

Frustration boiled under Damon's surface. Elena was always so confident in her opinions that sometimes it almost came off as arrogant. The idea that she was so confident about a decision he would or would not be making, only made the situation worse. Her ideas about their future were completely construed and he needed to remind her of the repercussions that came with dating a vampire.

Damon removed his hold on Elena's hand and lifted himself from the couch. He took another swig of his drink before setting it on the ledge above the fireplace. He then turned around and let out a frustrated huff before stating, "But don't you see; I don't want to make you wait anymore. After everything Stefan and I have put you through since we entered your life, you deserve everything that comes with a normal relationship. In a few years people are going to start to notice that I'm not getting any older. I can't stay in the same place for very long without the threat of people finding out what I am. Are you willing to move away from everyone else just so we can be together?"

"Yes," Elena responded confidently.

The shock that covered his face came on too suddenly to hide. Elena had a family and a great support system in Mystic Falls. The idea that she would so willing give that up for him sent tingles down his spine. "What about children? And don't tell me you don't want any because it's written all over your face. You were born to be a mother, Elena, so there is no point in lying to me. "

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. A confident smile stretched across Damon's lips once he realized he'd backed her into a corner. But to his surprise, she quickly recovered and responded, "You're right. I would like children eventually, but it wouldn't be the end of the world if they weren't my own. I was raised by parents that I wasn't related to by blood and I have never loved them any less for it. So, I could easily adopt if the desire became too overwhelming down the road."

Damon let out a snort and countered, "And bring them into our supernatural world? Great plan."

Elena stood and closed the gap separating them as she exclaimed, "I don't have all of the answers, Damon. _I never will._ All I know is what I feel and know right now."

"And what is that?" Damon questioned.

She raised her hand and gently stroked the side of his face. "Being a vampire is who you are. It's who you have been for the past century and a half. Yes, you love me, but you also love being who you are. I am giving you the opportunity to keep both of us."

"But I'm trying to tell you that I don't need both, I just need you." Damon had no idea why he was still arguing with her, but now it wasn't just about turning for her, it was about winning the argument.

Elena looked deeply into his eyes and Damon found himself faltering. The way her chestnut eyes dug straight into his, left his knees feeling weak and he found himself fighting every urge to give in. She had to of known the effect she had on him, but if she did, she didn't appear to be using it purposefully to her advantage.

With her eyes still dwelling into his she pushed, "I believe that you mean that, but what you're not seeing is that I'm not giving you an ultimatum here. I'm not making you choose. You're incredible, Damon, and I feel that if you change, that part of you will become lost in everything that you have given up. You're full of hunger, compassion, and life all at the same time. You're radiating happiness and I don't want you to lose it because of me."

"I would never be unhappy with you by my side." Damon reassured her.

The comment made Elena smile but she continued on. "You're confident, smooth, sarcastic, powerful, intimidating, and amazing all wrapped into one package. You love having the upper hand and you love being a protector, _my protector_. If you give this up, I'm not saying that you'll lose these qualities, but your life will take on a different meaning. And besides, without you who will be left to rid this town of all the awaiting evil?"

Damon needed a moment, so he removed himself from her penetrating stare and stepped over to stand behind the couch. The separation had the reverse effect than he was expecting. Instead of regaining the strength to defend his initial argument, he found himself faltering.

Damon had to give it to Elena because she made a valid point. He enjoyed the perks that came with being who he was; a vampire. He hadn't always had the best control, but he had finally mastered the flaws that came with his species. He had learned how to embrace who he was while still being able to enjoy the sensations and comforts that grew from humanity. Plus, he really did enjoy being her protector as well as the town's, but pretty much just _her_ protector.

He loved this girl and he wasn't sure if it was her compliments, the truth behind her argument, or her uncanny ability to get him to follow whatever she wanted; but he found himself wanting the exact same thing. But in one last grand gesture he offered up, "I could always become human to try it out."

She appeared to be holding back a giggle and through her crumbling exterior she asked, "Try out humanity?"

"Sure, and if I don't like it then I could always have Caroline turn me back." Even as he stated the words, he knew it was a ridiculous idea.

Elena caught on immediately and as she seductively sashayed her way across the room, she responded with the all too obvious statement, "That sounds like a lot of effort just to try something you know won't work for you."

Damon hated admitting it to himself, but she was right. He wasn't ready to give this life up and she wasn't asking him to. So what was the harm in keeping things the same? But still in this moment, he was ready to offer everything up to her and he wasn't sure if he'd ever be so willing again. "You're sure you don't want the life that comes with dating a human being?"

She leaned into him and pressed her lips softly against his. The touch felt like perfection and Damon found himself resisting every urge to rip her clothes off. As she pulled her lips from his, she lifted her gaze up to meet him and whispered, "I fell in love with a vampire and I don't want you changing in the least."

The statement sent heat to his very core. With just those words, Damon found himself lifting Elena and pressing her gently into the wall in a sudden flash. With her legs wrapped around him he playfully teased, "Admit it; you just love the perks that come with dating a vampire…"

Elena slowly dragged the tip of her tongue along his bottom lip and through seductive, heavy-lidded eyes she whispered, "The perks _are_ pretty great."

That was all Damon needed to bring his lips crashing down on hers. Once her breathing became heavy, he pulled away and felt the need to ask just one more time before things got too heavy, "Are you sure you're willing to give this a shot?"

He was destroying her; it was evident all over her face. She had one thing in mind and he was refusing to give it to her. Seeing her in agony sent a wave of pleasure through Damon's insides. He enjoyed regaining control after so easily losing it in their discussion. If he hadn't so desperately been craving the same thing she was, he would have attempted to hold out longer.

Although her impatience covered her face, it didn't edge the adoration in her voice when she replied, "Damon, I have always wanted to give this a shot. It was only until recently that I knew I had any other option."

"But now that we have the other option…." Damon pushed.

"I have no desire in you acting on it," Elena finished. "We have a lifetime for you to change your mind. As for right now, I love you exactly the way you are."

"I know you think we're in the clear here, but you never know what life is going to throw at us next. With me this way, I will always be tied to the supernatural world and everything that tie brings with it." Damon said.

"What would life be without a little threat of impending doom constantly hovering over our heads?" Elena playfully asked as she winked at him.

"Normal," Damon answered with a laugh.

"Normal life is such a bore anyway." Elena teased as she forced his lips back against hers.

Damon grinned from ear to ear as he pulled away to comment, "You really are the girl of my dreams, you know that?"

Elena gazed at him with a look Damon found himself becoming all too familiar with. It was a look of pure adoration and the emotion had found its way into her response. "Well, the rest of your life is about to be a living dream because you'll never be able to shake me now."

Damon knew he was in dangerous territory. This girl held all of him and he was fully aware that if she ever decided to back out, his life would be shattered. But the words she had shared and the physical movement of her body showed him that she was exactly where he was emotionally. They were both completely invested in the other.

He surrendered fully as he replied, "I think I can live with that." He then brought his lips crashing down on hers and allowed all of the pervious worries of the day to finally fade away.

* * *

Elena rested her head against the comfortable nook in Damon's neck. Once their actions had started, neither one had been able to restrain the urge to hold off long enough to make it upstairs to Damon's bedroom.

Now they both found themselves entwined on the victorian rug in front of the romantic fireplace. As Damon traced his fingertip over her bare shoulder, Elena simply enjoyed the comforting gesture. The heat of the fire on her back fought against the chill his skin provided as they leveled and left her body at the perfect temperature. She had never felt more blissfully at ease.

Elena had no idea how it was possible, but without Damon's death hovering over them, their second attempt had far surpassed their first. They had simply been able to enjoy the intimate experience and all of the emotions it had evoked. Damon's abilities were flawless and she found herself once again lost in the idea that he was forever hers.

Almost as if he was reading her thoughts, Damon broke the comfortable silence. "I don't know about you, but I'd say we pretty much nailed it out of the ballpark this time."

Elena immediately felt a smile plaster across her face at his lighthearted observation. It was true; she couldn't remember a time where she felt more alive than she did in this moment. Although Elena was no expert on sex, she knew enough to realize that Damon was a master.

He had pushed her when she thought she couldn't go on and the rewards had been remarkable. Her body felt more than satisfied, exhausted even, and yet still had the hunger for another round. She wanted more of Damon and she wasn't sure if that desire would ever ease up again.

As the two relaxed in each other's arms, Elena found herself remembering the night of their first time. But to her surprise, it wasn't the memory of their time together that held her focus. Instead it was a phrase Damon had spoken during their horrifying interactions afterwards in the cellar.

She wasn't sure why the memory found its way into her conscious, but once it had she couldn't shake it. The words kept playing in her head on repeat, _"Your blood will be unlike anything I have ever tasted before."_

She knew it was foolish, but she couldn't resist the push her body was requesting for this act and she couldn't ignore the idea that maybe her body knew something she didn't. Remembering the way Damon had spoken about this action, left her feeling aroused by the idea of him drinking from her.

Without giving herself time to rethink her decision, Elena traced her fingertip along the definitions in Damon's cold bare chest. As his eyes closed, Elena knew she had him right where she wanted him and coaxed, "Damon…"

He responded to his name with a slight moaning sound, so she decided to continue. "There's something I want to try…"

"Anything you want," he replied in merely a relaxed whisper.

She gently ran her index finger along the center of his stomach and took notice when she got the effect she was aiming for. Knowing she had him right in the palm of her hand she stated, "I want you to drink from me."

Whatever state she had managed to get him in before vanished as his eyes shot open. He then removed himself from her side in a shorter amount of time than it took her to blink. Concern and anger were just two of the emotions she recognized on his face as he heatedly asked, "Are you crazy! Earlier this evening you could barely handle physical contact with me and now you want me to _bite you_?"

Elena stood up and held her ground firmly as she replied with a stern, "Yes."

Damon waved his hands frantically in front of him as he shouted, "No fucking way! We pushed the line already tonight with your state and I am not going to perform the very act that has you terrified in the first place!"

Elena crossed the distance separating them and reasoned, "My state is just fine. As you can see, I'm not afraid of you. I didn't shy away from your touch once this evening and I want to try this."

Damon's face changed into one consumed with concern as he questioned, "Why can't you just be satisfied with sex tonight?" He then slashed his signature smirk across his lips and wrapped his arm around her. He ran his hands around the exact places he knew would cause her to lose track of her thoughts.

The touches had the effect Damon was expecting. They had successfully aroused her more and she wanted more of him; the hunger was unbearable. But she didn't think sex would ease that desire. Somehow she knew a single bite from him would crave that hunger. That simple act would quench her thirst for him.

She countered his move with one of her own. She ran her fingers seductively along the sensitive points on his body and whispered, "Don't you remember what I taste like? The sensation it gave you. I know you want this just as badly as do."

Damon's eyes rolled back as her hand landed on just the right location of his body. She could feel the desire he was experiencing. She almost had him, but she needed to push him further. "What did I taste like?"

In his euphoric state, he seemed to have forgotten his previous argument because he suddenly began licking his lower lip. With his eyes still locked closed remembering the memory, Damon willingly responded, "If they could bottle satisfaction, the elixir contained within it would be your blood. I have never tasted anything more flawless. You tasted like life, happiness, love, compassion, warmth, sex, and forgiveness all at the same time. It was almost as if each sip contained another characteristic you possessed."

The description must have caused Elena to stop her stroking motion because Damon instantly snapped out of his previous trance. His eyes flashed open and he grabbed her hand as he stated, "But I'm not sure if that was the only decent side-effect of the wolf venom in my system or if it was really the connection I have heard so much about. I had never experienced anything like I did when I drank your blood, Elena. But I'm not willing to ruin everything we accomplished tonight because you want to offer yourself up to me in the chance that it was the latter of the two."

Elena placed her lips against his and gently planted a kiss. As she pulled away, she saw the shaky state of Damon and knew she was inches away from victory. He was fighting his urges, but his exterior was crumbling right before her very eyes. She ran the tip of her tongue up the center of his lips and seductively whispered, "I know it's because of the connection we share and I want this more than anything. Please just give me what I want…"

She then pulled just far away enough so that her eyes could penetrate into his and she knew she had won. She knew exactly what to say and what to do to get Damon to surrender and this was the first time that she had truly used it to her advantage.

Elena laced her fingers between his and led him back to their previous spot on the floor. Pressing herself against him, she gently pushed back the strands of hair revealing her bare neck to him.

She could immediately see the desired spark in his eyes as he questioned, "Are you sure?"

Elena was positive she had never been more ready for anything. Her body was screaming for him as she nodded and replied, "Absolutely."

Damon delicately placed his lips against her throat and slid the tip of his fang around the side of her neck. The simple touch sent tingles down her back as the adrenaline pumped through her system, but she felt no fear. He inhaled deeply taking in her scent and she felt the need for him almost instantly.

Sensing her welcome, he broke through the delicate skin and sipped gently at the wound. The sensation was almost instant as her body sent her into a state of euphoria. There had been no pain when his fangs had broken through her skin, only bliss. And at each gentle tug on her neck, she felt the connection between them heighten. She had never felt more intimately involved with someone than she felt at this exact moment.

As Damon took another sip, Elena let her head fall back as she rode the pleasure his bite was providing. Nothing could have prepared her for this bite and this moment. Stefan had drank from her in the past, but it had never evoked the same emotions she was feeling now with Damon. So many were flashing through her in quick bursts that she chose to welcome them instead of deciphering what they were.

Emotions were still rapidly flooding through her body, when Damon lifted his face from Elena's throat revealing he had just shared the exact same experience she had. His eyes gleamed back at her brightly with satisfaction and she knew that if she wasn't 100% confident in her argument beforehand, she sure as hell was now. She thought to herself that if this was what vampire Damon was providing, she couldn't imagine having the desire to ever turn him again. Vampire Damon was what she wanted; what she needed, and she need him forever.

As she gazed longingly into his perfect blue eyes, she couldn't deny the way bites had shaped their relationship. It had taken a werewolf bite to get Elena to realize her feelings for Damon in the first place. Another werewolf bite for her to finally admit those feelings to him. But a vampire bite to solidify them. The others had simply brought her to this point, but in this moment Elena knew the truth behind the statement that filled her thoughts; this bite was truly the one that would start the rest of their lives together. This bite was the one that started it all.

* * *

**I have always known that I wanted to leave Damon a vampire. The vampire version of him is who we all fell in love with on the show and it didn't seem right to me to strip him of this characteristic. I hope those of you who were looking forward to a human Damon were not too disappointed.**

**I wanted to say a huge thank you for everyone who has read, subscribed, favorited, and reviewed this story. It was my first attempt and your response and acceptance of it has been phenomenal. Thank you so much!**

_**I have decided to take about a week off before I begin writing my next story, but for those of you who are interested, it should be coming out soon. :)**_


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